We know you want to get your message out, DOGE. That's the point of running your own website, right? We recently ran aXe DevTools on your site and we found a bunch of accessibility concerns for your website. We want to help.
Here's what we learned:
That is a lot of violations! In addition to the 273 issues in the desktop version of your site, you also have 161 issues on mobile. And as we're sure you know, this doesn't just look bad for you—it's also against the law.
We the Builders is almost as new as you are! We launched this website on February 15, 2025, so you actually have a head start on us. However, wethebuilders.org has 0 issues according to the same accessibility audit tool. We also have a method for users to reach out if they have issues accessing our content.
What does it mean to make your site accessible?
In our accessibility statement, we outline who we strive to make wethebuilders.org accessible for:
We the Builders is committed to creating an accessible website for all visitors, including people who have difficulty seeing, hearing, operating computer hardware, or who experience cognitive or learning challenges.
We also believe accessibility includes translating your website into languages spoken by your users. Simply put, we want everyone to be able to access our content, as our website is designed for all.
Accessibility ensures that everyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to engage with our content. By creating an inclusive experience, we break down barriers and foster a more equitable, welcoming digital environment for all users.
How to make your site accessible
Making your website accessible can take a bit more work, but it's not hard if you take the time, use good tools, and set up good processes.
We really like Cypress's accessibility testing guide, and all of our front end engineers use aXe to be sure we're doing our work correctly.
A few best practices for building accessibility into your development process:
- Use a coding framework that's accessible by default. You're in luck here—the GSA's own US Web Design System (USWDS) meets this requirement, and there are a bunch of external USWDS implementations for frameworks like React and Rails.
- Prioritize accessibility from the very beginning of the website creation process. We know this ship has sailed for you as your site is live, but you can still find accessibility experts and make sure your designers (you have designers, right?) prioritize accessibility going forward.
- Conduct usability testing with all types of users including those who have disabilities throughout your research process (you do usability research, right?).
- Incorporate accessibility testing into your continuous integration framework. Just as you include unit and integration tests (you do have tests in your build pipeline, right?), you can also test for accessibility with every pull request.
- Building trust with the public is essential! Be sure to publish an accessibility statement and offer a way for users to contact you if they encounter difficulties accessing your content. Accessibility can be complex, so this provides a valuable opportunity to learn about new issues and engage with your users.
This is just the start! There are more advanced practices and tools for you to take advantage of as you mature your website. We wanted to share the best ways to start here because we know it's overwhelming to update a website that wasn't designed for accessibility from the start.
Wrapping up
We see you working to correct your mistakes, address the negative press about the systems you've impacted, and find ways to attract support for your cause. This is one way you can make a positive impact. Let us know if you need anything—we're happy to help make all government websites accessible to everyone!