E-government Services: Accessibility and Usability

In recent years, e-government services have greatly benefited society by simplifying and enhancing processes, making administrative procedures more efficient and reliable, guaranteeing transparency and increasing user satisfaction. Most of this modernization process occurred using simple services, relying on World Wide Web (WWW) protocols and user interfaces. Due to their institutional nature, e-Government services must offer equal access and opportunities to any individual, regardless of her/his abilities, aiming to progressively reduce and extinguish all aspects of the digital divide. Since 1999 the European Union has acknowledged the need to promote Web accessibility by implementing a number of actions, with the aim of enhancing and reshaping a fairer and more inclusive society. This paper offers an overview of accessibility and usability from its origins to the present, with special focus on the framework of current European legislation, providing a simple interpretation of the phenomenon.