August 20, 2025

What Government Agencies Need to Know About USWDS and Why Action Can’t Wait

Many government websites are buried in PDFs and outdated systems that block access to benefits. Learn how USWDS and tools like CiviForm help agencies modernize, stay compliant, and deliver services faster.

IMPACT:

Civic

For decades, interacting with government services has often meant clunky websites, endless PDFs, and outdated application processes. In fact, many government websites today are still overloaded with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of static forms and PDFs buried deep within hard-to-navigate web pages.

For residents, this creates huge barriers:

Finding services is confusing.If you don’t know the exact program name, you may never find the PDF you need.
Applying for benefits is time-consuming.Many forms must be printed, filled out by hand, and dropped off in person (often at multiple offices).
Access is inequitable.Residents without printers, reliable transportation, or digital literacy are left behind.

For agencies, these outdated systems pile on administrative burden, slow down eligibility decisions, and ultimately make it harder to serve people when they need support most.

The result? Months of waiting for benefits that could (and should) be delivered in minutes.

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What is USWDS?

The U.S. Web Design System is a set of design principles, UI components, and coding standards maintained by the General Services Administration (GSA). Think of it as a playbook for how government websites and applications should look, feel, and function.

Its purpose is straightforward but powerful:

Build websites that are accessible by default.Digital services should work for everyone, regardless of ability, device, or location.
Reduce friction with clear, consistent design patterns.Users shouldn’t have to “relearn” how to interact with each new government website.
Put residents at the center with human-centered design.Websites and applications should be shaped by the real needs of people, not internal processes.

Instead of reinventing the wheel, governments can rely on USWDS to modernize their digital services in ways that are scalable, sustainable, and accessible.

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But here’s the key: the USWDS isn’t just a design recommendation anymore. It’s part of a much larger compliance story.

The ADA Ruling: A New Legal Mandate for Accessibility

On April 24, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice finalized a new rule: all state and local governments must ensure their web content and mobile apps are accessible to people with disabilities.

This means meeting WCAG 2.1, Level AA standards—the internationally recognized benchmark for accessible digital content.

Because of this ruling, all government agencies now face clear deadlines:

→ Governments with 50,000 or more persons: April 24, 2026
→ Governments with 0 to 49,999 persons: April 26, 2027
→ Special district governments: April 26, 2027

For larger jurisdictions, that’s less than a year away.

The message is clear: the era of inaccessible PDFs and paper-based processes is over. Agencies that don’t act now risk falling out of compliance—while leaving residents struggling to access critical benefits.

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Why Accessible Web Design Matters for Governments

While these looming deadlines may feel overwhelming, racing to meet the bare minimum for compliance isn’t enough. To truly transform service delivery, government agencies need to pair federal design standards like USWDS with a thoughtful, equity-centered approach to modernization.

That’s where Exygy comes in.

We don’t just help agencies “install” USWDS. We work alongside government teams to integrate human-centered, equity-driven design principles into every step of the modernization process. Our approach includes:

Creating data-driven tools to make sure impact is measurable and actionable.
Reducing administrative burden by streamlining workflows and minimizing errors.
Replacing outdated, PDF-heavy websites with intuitive, searchable digital portals.
Building equity into the process by designing with and for the communities each agency serves.
Modernizing application processes so residents can apply for multiple programs in minutes, not weeks.

Every confusing form, broken flow, or inaccessible page represents a barrier to critical resources. That’s why our team of civic tech experts is committed to breaking down those barriers through equitable and accessible technology and digital solutions.

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From Weeks to Minutes: Real Results in Action

When governments combine consistent standards with thoughtful implementation, digital services stop being barriers and start becoming lifelines for real families.

At Exygy, we bring together our open source products like CiviForm and Bloom Housing along with deep technical expertise to help government agencies deliver real results:

✅ Faster delivery of services
‍✅ Reduced administrative burden
‍✅ Compliance and risk management
‍✅ More benefits reaching more people

We’ve already worked with several state and local governments to do this meaningful work, and the outcomes really speak for themselves.

The State of Arkansas now has a centralized place for residents to submit one application and, in minutes, discover all the state programs they’re eligible for.

And in the City of Charlotte, benefits application times dropped from 3–4 weeks to just 6 minutes, while eligibility decisions now happen in 24–48 hours instead of a month.

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Modernization is More Than Compliance

Following USWDS standards and federal ADA mandates is important, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg. The real opportunity lies in using these standards to reimagine what government services can look like when accessibility, equity, and usability are the driving forces.

At Exygy, we believe that access to public benefits should be fast, intuitive, and accessible to everyone who needs them. And with the right approach, that’s not just possible—it’s already happening.

Reach out to see what modernization could look like at your agency.

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What’s a Rich Text element?

H1 example

H3 example

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Static and dynamic content editing

A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

How to customize formatting for each rich text

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.

Cyndyl Harrison

Marketing Associate