Ensuring digital accessibility is essential for inclusive access to online services. However, many government and non-government websites that provide critical services - such as education, healthcare, and public administration - continue to exhibit significant accessibility and usability barriers. This study evaluates the accessibility of Bangladeshi government and non-government websites under WCAG~2.2 by combining automated accessibility assessments with user-reported feedback. A total of 212 websites were analyzed using multiple automated tools, complemented by a survey of 103 users to capture real-world usability, accessibility, and security experiences. The results reveal substantial disparities between government and non-government websites, highlighting persistent issues related to navigation complexity, interaction cost, visual readability, accessibility feature adoption, and authentication mechanisms. While non-government websites generally demonstrate better usability and functional performance, accessibility support remains inconsistent across both categories. The findings underscore the need for regular accessibility audits, user-centered design practices, and policy-driven interventions to improve digital inclusivity and ensure equitable access to online services for diverse user populations.
翻译:确保数字可访问性对于包容性地获取在线服务至关重要。然而,许多提供关键服务(如教育、医疗保健和公共管理)的政府和非政府网站仍然存在显著的可访问性和可用性障碍。本研究结合自动化可访问性评估与用户反馈,依据WCAG~2.2标准评估了孟加拉国政府和非政府网站的可访问性。使用多种自动化工具分析了总计212个网站,并辅以对103名用户的调查,以获取实际使用中的可用性、可访问性及安全性体验。结果显示,政府与非政府网站之间存在显著差异,突显了在导航复杂性、交互成本、视觉可读性、可访问性功能采用以及认证机制方面持续存在的问题。尽管非政府网站通常表现出更好的可用性和功能性能,但两类网站在可访问性支持方面均存在不一致性。研究结果强调,需要进行定期的可访问性审计、采用以用户为中心的设计实践以及政策驱动的干预措施,以提升数字包容性,确保不同用户群体能够公平地获取在线服务。