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State COVID-19 websites all fail accessibility standards for those with vision impairments

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston-Riggs
Published October 5, 2023 at 9:29 AM EDT
LA Johnson
/
NPR

Coronavirus websites in the country's 50 states, including North Carolina, do not meet accessibility standards, meaning some who are visually impaired might not be able to access all information using screen readers and other accessibility tools.

New research from North Carolina State University analyzed COVID-19 websites from all 50 states and U.S. territories to see if they complied with the AA standard for accessibility established by the World Wide Web Consortium.

Study co-author Dylan Hewitt says none of the sites met all guidelines in 2021, and things did not get any better in 2023.

North Carolina's COVID-19 website ranked higher than most other states but still fell short of standards set by the World Wide Web Consortium.

Washington state had the most accessible site and Ohio had the least accessible.
Annette Weston-Riggs
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. She has been involved in the media industry in eastern North Carolina for more than three years. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to ENC to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of toddler and baby cuddling, reading, designing costumes for children’s theater and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston-Riggs