Delivering equitable and inclusive digital services with Adobe solutions

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Image source: HBS

Now, more than ever, people are turning to the government for information, support, and resources. Bringing people, processes, and technology together can modernize and streamline technology while engaging citizens and employees. Over the past year, we have learned that delivering services anytime, anywhere, on any device is the equation for creating equitable services for all.

At Adobe, we are committed to building diverse and inclusive environments internally and externally. Our goal is to assist government agencies to reach these same operational goals.

On January 20, 2021, the first Executive Order signed by President Biden on the first day of his administration was EO 13985, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” EO 13985 charges the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in partnership with the heads of agencies, to identify effective methods for assessing whether agency policies and actions (e.g., programs, services, processes, and operations) equitably serve all eligible individuals and communities, particularly those that are currently and historically underserved. That’s in addition to 2018’s 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA), which requires agencies to improve website accessibility and digital experiences to serve all populations.

Even as governments at all levels have accelerated the delivery of digital services, this past year has exposed gaps in their technical infrastructure and policies for effectively working remotely and delivering equitable services to all. Adobe has aided government partners as diverse as the U.S. Census Bureau, the State of Oklahoma, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services in creating seamless, accessible end-to-end digital experiences for all using Adobe solutions.

Adobe meets the challenge

Both EO 13985 and IDEA include specific criteria that determine whether digital services delivered are equitable and inclusive. Here are just a few examples that illustrate how Adobe solutions are helping government agencies meet these goals:

1. Using Adobe digital solutions to better deliver equitable service options to the public

Three Adobe solutions — Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Analytics, and Adobe Target — became key pieces in the U.S. Census Bureau’s successful drive to make its 2020 census more accessible and easier to respond to. Conducting the census every decade is one of the government’s biggest outreach challenges. The 2020 census proved to be even more challenging given the global pandemic and inability to send enumerators into the field. The Adobe solutions helped the bureau reach its goal of successfully offering an online census option for the first time in its history while interacting with 300 million people in 59 different languages, many of whom connected digitally, with others still responding by mail or phone.

2. Implementing Adobe Experience Manager to meet delivery demands for mobile-enabled smartphone and Wi-Fi access

Adobe solutions became the foundation for the State of Oklahoma to complete an overhaul to their external-facing website (OK.gov) and dozens of state agency websites to better serve the needs of all Oklahomans, no matter what device they use. Adobe Experience Manager, with its capacities for content management and digital asset management, played a key role in creating a centralized web content management and digital platform for both desktop and mobile users. The State also extended its digital capabilities with the help of Adobe Analytics, implemented personalized notifications with Adobe Target, and created a seamless and contactless workflow for remote employees to route and sign documents electronically with Adobe Sign. As a result, all Oklahomans can interact with their state agencies from any device, even during short and long-term emergencies.

3. Meeting citizens’ language or accessibility needs with Adobe Experience Cloud

Adobe Experience Cloud is providing a huge service upgrade to Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Social Services (LA DPSS) in reaching a client base as diverse as any in the country. LA DPSS is the largest agency of its kind in the U.S. and provides critical communication to the residents of L.A. County that require their services, ranging from shelter-in-place orders to public assistance requests. Adobe Experience Cloud allowed LA DPSS to revamp its website (their “digital front door”) and add a Spanish language option to meet the outreach needs of every citizen.

Government agencies are developing Equity Action Plans in advance of the January 19, 2022 deadline for the Domestic Policy Council review. As organizations continue to create their plans to identify and address gaps in equity, Adobe solutions can make the process quicker, easier, and more effective.

Contact an Adobe representative to find out how your agency can deliver equitable and inclusive digital services.