Agencies have struggled to meet IDEA Act requirements, watchdog finds

Only about one-third of federal agencies met all accessibility requirements for their public-facing digital services in 2023, with the remaining entities either not meeting all of the mandates or failing to report on their progress, according to a Government Accountability Office report released on Tuesday.

The watchdog’s audit reviewed 24 federal civilian agencies’ compliance with the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience — or IDEA — Act, which required the entities to make their websites more user-friendly. The law, which passed in 2018, set minimum usability standards for new and existing federal platforms and also required that agencies submit annual reports to the Office of Management and Budget detailing their adherence to the mandates. 

The IDEA Act’s modernization requirements called for platforms to be accessible; consistent; non-duplicative; searchable; encrypted; user data-driven; customizable; and mobile-friendly. 

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