[NFBV-Fairfax] 2020 Census - Comments on Accessing with a Screen reader

[amcarr1 at verizon.net]

Hello,

Based on the information shared in the below message, the 2020 Census online reporting system is accessible with a screen reader.  It contains some tips and comments that were posted to another group I belong to.  You should be aware that you are legally required to complete the 2020 census.  

Annette Carr
President, Fairfax Chapter
National Federation of the Blind

--- Original Message ---

Hi All,

I just participated in the 2020 Census by filling out the online form. I'll lay out the process here in this post.

This week (mid-March), I received a mailing from the U.S. Census. The envelope is roughly the size of a half sheet of letter writing paper, > similar to an AT&T phone bill. It contains two sheets of paper. One is a letter for the residents of your street address. The other is information about participating if you speak another language. The letter, though very generic, is important. Your census ID number is printed on it to the right of your mailing address. The ID number is made up of twelve characters (both letters and numbers) and is printed in large type below the fold in the page. You need this number to log into the online form. I haven't found any information about other (more accessible) ways to get it though the census literature does say you can respond to the questionnaire over the phone. The back of the letter (i.e., what's inside the fold) has basic instructions, which you can read online.

As directed by the letter, I visited the census website at

https://my2020census.gov

At the beginning of the page is a link telling screen reader users that the best experience comes from the latest Jaws and Internet Explorer. A little further down is another link to help screen reader users figure out what they're running. I used Chrome with Jaws, and that worked just fine. I also tried Chrome with Narrator, and as long as I started after the link for checking the screen reader and browser combination, things seemed to work well, so I'm guessing NVDA would work too. 

Logging in and responding to the questionnaire was pretty straightforward. To log in, you enter 4 characters into three edit fields; as you type, focus moves automatically from field to field, so you don't have to worry about tabbing to the right place. The first screen asks you to verify your street address, which is linked to your census ID number. Then you activate a Get Started button, and you're off. Most screens have only one question. Controls are clearly labeled, and the screen reader correctly announces which option is marked and what text you've entered into edit boxes. When you're done, you can activate a Print/Save button to download a PDF of the confirmation screen. 

So ... if you can access your Census ID number by using OCR, a visual assistance service, or sighted help from someone you know, participating in the census is very accessible.