Accessibility Evaluation of Online Public Services

TitleAccessibility Evaluation of Online Public Services
Publication TypeConference Paper
Year of Publication2026
AuthorsTitopoulou E, Stouraiti V, Margaris D, Vassilakis C, Spiliotopoulos D
Conference NameProceedings of the 2026 HCI International conference
PublisherSpringer
Keywordsaccessibility testing, online public services, perceived accessibility, web accessibility
Abstract

This paper examines the most common violations of the Web Content Accessi-bility Guidelines on popular public service webpages, as well as the conse-quences these have for people with disabilities. Using automated evaluation tools, such as WAVE, axe DevTools, and Google Lighthouse, recurring weak-nesses were identified, including the lack of alternative text for images, low colour contrast, unstructured headings, and limited keyboard navigation sup-port. At the same time, the difficulties faced by users with different types of disabilities (visual, auditory, motor, cognitive) are presented and the social, psychological, and cultural dimensions of digital exclusion are analysed. This work also employed an extensive user study to record the experiences and per-ceptions of people with disabilities, regarding online services accessibility.