Why Easy Access to Functional Online Government Services Matters
Internet-based government services play a central role in daily life for almost everyone in society. For instance, many people rely on online services to renew their driver’s license and car tabs, pay taxes, renew a business license, or apply for benefits. Online access is convenient, but many services are tied to legal deadlines with serious consequences if missed. If certain things aren’t done by the set deadline, it can cause serious problems.
Most local governments offer online services, but they’re not always functional. When key government systems are difficult to use, they can delay critical services. Here’s why access to functional online government services matters and what happens when that access is blocked.
Delayed government services have real consequences
When a government website doesn’t work or is hard to use, the impact can extend beyond a simple inconvenience to the user. For example, if someone tries to renew their driver’s license online and the system is broken, they’ll be forced to take time off work and lose pay just to visit an office. If they can’t afford to take time off, they might have to take public transportation to work until they can make arrangements to renew their license. Meanwhile, they won’t have a legally valid ID.
Broken online government systems can be extremely damaging. Many people depend on online portals to complete mandatory tasks within strict deadlines, like filing taxes or submitting court paperwork. If the system fails, the individual is still legally responsible for failing to meet their deadline – even if they didn’t have enough time to submit their paperwork manually.
The consequences can also be financial. For example, when someone tries to apply for unemployment or Social Security benefits, a non-functional online system can prolong the time it takes to get approved and start receiving benefits. This can impact their ability to pay their bills and buy groceries. It already takes a long time to get approved, and a dysfunctional online portal only makes the wait time longer.
Online access makes government services more available
People who don’t live close to government offices and can’t take time off work during normal business hours suffer the most when online portals either don’t exist or don’t work. Online services reduce barriers and allow everyone to complete essential tasks remotely on their own time. This is especially helpful for people who either don’t drive or live in rural communities where the nearest government office might be an hour or more away. Having functional online services allows all residents to get what they need without losing an entire day driving around.
Accessible online services help disabled users
People with mobility limitations and various impairments often find online services more convenient, but only when those services are truly accessible. Unfortunately, government websites have a reputation for being inaccessible.
Generally speaking, online services are accessible when they’re optimized for screen readers and keyboard navigation, use alt text and captions, and have easy-to-read layouts. However, the average government website doesn’t support keyboard accessibility, omits alt text, contains ambiguous links, and doesn’t use clear color contrast.
When an online system isn’t accessible, visiting a physical location is the only other option most of the time. However, that’s not always doable because it takes some disabled people hours just to schedule a ride and leave the house. When they can use a mobile device and a screen reader to complete their tasks online, they don’t have to go anywhere and can access services independently.
Broken systems are frustrating
People don’t like dealing with government websites that crash, freeze, or are hard to navigate. Sometimes people put off handling important responsibilities when the process is too frustrating, and that can lead to missed deadlines and penalties. For example, someone who spends hours trying to reset a password or upload required documents might give up and wait until the last minute to try again. When they try again, that individual might encounter the same issue, but since so much time has gone by, they won’t have time to manually complete their task by the deadline.
Government services are critical during emergencies
Nothing highlights the importance of functional online government services like an emergency. For example, during a natural disaster or local emergency, people need to access government websites for updates, emergency instructions, and relief applications. Not being able to access the website in a crisis can cause harm.
Functional online government services are essential
Online government systems facilitate key societal responsibilities, including tax payments, professional licensing, public records requests, permit approval, unemployment claims, and more. Functional systems reduce administrative burdens for the government and strengthen public trust.
When these systems fail, the consequences can be devastating, which makes functional online government services essential for modern life.
