BackAfter an extensive period of research and development, the new Ombudsman’s Office website was launched on 20 July 2022. The new website is not only more accessible to people with disabilities, but also more user-friendly for every visitor of the website. The website was developed in cooperation with digital accessibility experts and users.
Ombudsman Juris Jansons: “We are happy, because we can proudly say that we are changing with the times. After a 7-month long intense developing process, we have now put our website up for your evaluation and judgement. This has been a busy time for our team. In cooperation with specialists, we have paid close attention to ensuring that the website is user-oriented, intuitive, as well as compliant with modern-day requirements. It is important to me, as an ombudsman, that everyone can find the information they need and use it to defend their rights.”
The website development was carried out in accordance with the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies, which requires all websites of national and local authorities to comply with accessibility requirements. Accessibility is an inclusive practice that contributes to a successful interaction between people and the digital environment - regardless of the user’s digital literacy, availability of technologies, health condition or other circumstances.
To make the website user-friendly, user habits needed to be analysed in detail. Therefore, one of the main steps in the production of the website was the development and analysis of user profiles, simulation of scenarios, and identification of risks.
Ruta Siliņa, Head of the Communication and International Cooperation Division: “Sometimes legal terms can be very complex and specific. For the sake of the bigger picture, we tried to find a balance between the use of correct legal terms and the best interests of users by including descriptions and explanations of areas of law on the website. A resource database has also been introduced, which will be a great opportunity to search, find and publish information in a more convenient manner. In the future, this will allow the website to be much more active and, simultaneously, more structured.”
The website of the Ombudsman’s Office was developed in cooperation with Turn Digital, digital accessibility experts and users.
Source: Office of the Ombudsman, Latvia
