Accessibility of local government websites: influence of financial resources, county characteristics and local demographics

Although many studies have investigated how well government websites have implemented website accessibility standards, such as Section 508 and WCAG 2.0, very little research has been conducted exploring what factors influence the level of implementation. Based on the organizational innovation model proposed by Frances Berry, this study examines 342 county government websites in the USA and analyzes how several factors, such as budget resources, local demographics and forms of county government, influence the accessibility of the sites. The result of the OLS estimate indicates that the complexity of the websites and the county population density are the most important predictors of web accessibility. County budget is also a marginal predictor, while the percentage of the population with disabilities is a negative predictor. Given the slow progress in the implementation of higher accessibility standards in the USA, the findings of this study provide timely implications for policymakers and governments to improve the quality of their websites.