Investigating the Potential of a Dashboard for Monitoring U.S. Federal Website Accessibility

The U.S. federal government continues to struggle with improving web accessibility for people with disabilities, despite the fact that Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act has required accessible websites for the federal government since 2001. Researchers have struggled to understand Section 508 due to the lack of transparency in implementation of the law. This article provides two contributions: 1) interviews with five individuals who are Section 508 coordinators in the federal government offer understanding of the potential barriers to dashboard adoption, and 2) data collected on 629 federal websites involving more than 28,000 web pages demonstrate the type of data that potentially could be collected and analyzed in a dashboard. Consistent use of automated tools to create a dashboard of federal web accessibility potentially could bring more attention to the topic and improve accessibility compliance

Introduction to Emerging Topics in Electronic Government Minitrack

N/

Analysis of Disengagements in Semi-Autonomous Vehicles: Drivers’ Takeover Performance and Operational Implications

This report analyzes the reactions of human drivers placed in simulated Autonomous Technology disengagement scenarios. The study was executed in a human-in-the-loop setting, within a high-fidelity integrated car simulator capable of handling both manual and autonomous driving. A population of 40 individuals was tested, with metrics for control takeover quantification given by: i) response times (considering inputs of steering, throttle, and braking); ii) vehicle drift from the lane centerline after takeover as well as overall (integral) drift over an S-turn curve compared to a baseline obtained in manual driving; and iii) accuracy metrics to quantify human factors associated with the simulation experiment. Independent variables considered for the study were the age of the driver, the speed at the time of disengagement, and the time at which the disengagement occurred (i.e., how long automation was engaged for). The study shows that changes in the vehicle speed significantly affect all the variables investigated, pointing to the importance of setting up thresholds for maximum operational speed of vehicles driven in autonomous mode when the human driver serves as back-up. The results shows that the establishment of an operational threshold could reduce the maximum drift and lead to better control during takeover, perhaps warranting a lower speed limit than conventional vehicles. With regards to the age variable, neither the response times analysis nor the drift analysis provide support for any claim to limit the age of drivers of semi-autonomous vehicles

Simplification of Health and Social Services Enrollment and Eligibility: Lessons for California From Interviews in Four States

Explores state officials' and advocates' views on issues involved in streamlining enrollment and eligibility processes, including the importance of staff buy-in, community partners' outreach efforts, and technological challenges and lessons learned

Reading Proficiency As A Public Policy Agenda Indicator: The Importance Of Reading Ability On The Educational Outcomes Of Students And The Collateral Effects To Society

This study explores reading proficiency as a public policy agenda indicator and hypothesizes that reading achievement scores among phonics-based, Reading First, literacy curriculum participants will significantly increase when a neuroscience-based intervention model is integrated into the instructional program. Using a deductive approach, English Language Arts (ELA) achievement percentages from 31 school districts in Maine were analyzed and compared to the Maine state average across 3 groups: All students, Economically Disadvantaged students, and Students with Disabilities. Secondary data was obtained from the Every Student Succeeds Acts (ESSA) Dashboard available on the Maine state government website. One-sample case t-test results indicate that the sample school districts scored significantly higher relative to all 3 groups, and that the possible effect of the ABC neuroscience-based intervention on reading achievement ranged from higher than small to slightly below moderate. Applications for the use of these findings as a policy stream indicator for agenda setting are discussed in addition to recommendations for educational practice and future research

Santa Fe Traffic Operation Center

The New Mexico Department of Transportation is expanding the District 5 Traffic Operations Center (TOC). We assessed the current communication methods and technologies used within the District 5 TOC. From various interviews and research we recommended that the TOC increase operational efficiency and interagency communications by implementing the following technologies and systems: Dashboard systems, NMRoads access expansion, automatic vehicle location, jurisdictional boundaries and infrastructure map, and interagency conferences, notification systems and contact lists

Envisioning An Equitable Central City

This Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) Workshop project working with our clients, City of Portland’s Bureau of Transportation and Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, advances the pursuit of equity within Portland’s Central City. Six MURP students acted as the consultant, under the name VF Planning, and with the guidance of Portland State University professors. Portland’s Central City (CC) stretches from the West Hills to SE 12th Avenue and includes ten subdistricts: Lower Albina, Lloyd, and Central Eastside to the east and Pearl, Old Town/Chinatown, Goose Hollow, West End, Downtown, South Downtown/University, and South Waterfront to the west of the Willamette River. The CC is the foundation of Portland’s affordable, equitable, and sustainable future. It has the city’s highest concentration of affordable housing, residential diversity, jobs, cultural amenities, and higher education opportunities. The CC also serves as a transportation and economic hub for the city and the region. It acts as a small business incubator, and is the civic heart of our city. The CC is a tapestry of rich cultural history and resilience as well as pain and displacement. It represents only 3% of Portland’s land area but holds 11% of our city’s housing units and is intended to accommodate 30% of the city’s projected growth. Through analysis of existing conditions and stakeholder outreach, the consultant used an equity lens to identify stakeholder interests and needs in the CC. With promising practices in mind, VF Planning developed recommendations to progress toward the vision of an equitable and thriving CC. This work will serve as a new touchstone for Portland’s Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and Bureau of Planning & Sustainability (BPS) to use as they prioritize equity in the CC

Harmonizing Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Transportation and Land-Use Planning in California Cities

Abstract: Recent extreme weather events in California—wildfires, drought, and flooding—make abundantly clear the need to plan effective responses to both the causes and the consequences of climate change. A central challenge for climate planning efforts has been identifying transportation and land-use (TLU) strategies that simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions (“mitigation”) and adapt communities so that they will be less affected by the adverse impacts of climate change (“adaptation”). Sets of policies that collectively address both mitigation and adaptation are known as “integrated actions.” This study explores municipal climate planning in California to determine whether cities incorporate integrated actions into their plans, assess the potential drivers of conflict between mitigation and adaptation in municipal plans, and identify ways the State of California can help cities more effectively incorporate integrated actions. The study methods consisted of a detailed analysis of climate planning documents from 23 California cities with particularly long histories of climate planning, plus interviews with 25 local, regional, and state officials who work on municipal climate planning. The authors found that some cities did adopt packages of integrated actions, and, promisingly, two cities with recently updated climate plans explicitly focused on the need for integrated actions. However, most cities addressed climate mitigation and adaptation in separate efforts, potentially reducing synergies between the two types of action and even creating conflicts. Since the first generation of climate action plans focused primarily on mitigation of greenhouse gases (GHGs), adaptation strategies have not yet been effectively or fully combined into mitigation plans in many cities. Also, a cross-comparison of plan content and interview data suggests that cities often had sets of policies that could potentially create conflicts—mitigation policies that would undermine adaptation capacity, and vice versa. In addition, where a city did adopt integrated actions, these efforts are typically not labeled as such, nor do the policies appear within the same policy document. The study findings suggest promising steps that both municipal and state governments can take to support integrated TLU actions at the local level. For example, cities can proactively link the content in climate mitigation and adaptation plans—a process that will require building the capacity for cross-collaboration between the various departments in charge of developing, implementing, and monitoring climate-related plans. As for the state government, it can provide funding specifically for planning and implementing integrated actions, offer technical support to help municipalities adopt programs and projects that produce integrated mitigation and adaptation benefits, and fund research in the area of integrated actions

An Alternative Pathway to College: A Qualitative Case Study of an Adult Learner in an Online Competency-Based Education (CBE) Bachelor’s Degree Program

My dissertation research investigated an adult learner’s experience in an online competency-based education (CBE) bachelor’s degree program. The purpose of my study was to understand how CBE was transforming the practices of traditional post-secondary education and how CBE was serving the needs of students, particularly nontraditional adult students in higher education. The methodology used in this dissertation research was a qualitative case study. The participant was an adult learner enrolled in an online CBE bachelor\u27s degree program at a public institution. My case study used a series of face-to-face interviews, document analysis, participant-guided web tours, and participant observation to collect data during a six-month period. The themes that emerged from my study include: (1) adult learning as a self-directed process, (2) adult learning as a flexible process, (3) adult learning as a social process, (4) adult learning as a goal-oriented and results-drive process, (5) adult learning as a change process, and (6) adult learning as a scaffolding process. The findings of my study suggest that CBE can make a valuable complement to the traditional higher education model and a functional alternative pathway to post-secondary credentials. While CBE has the potential to enhance existing models of higher education to address access, quality, and productivity challenges, it is certainly not a panacea that will save higher education and no one has claimed that it is. What competency-based education can bring is a catalyst for change and innovation that our higher education system desperately needs

An electric commerce platform for material testing laboratories

The emergence of the Internet has allowed businesses to create new sales and marketing channels to provide value for their customers in the marketplace. Engineering manufacturers and suppliers have taken advantage of the internet to automate the customer service aspects of their businesses as well as to market their services in a cost-effective but widespread manner. This work aims to apply the practices and benefits of electronic commerce (e-commerce) to a material testing laboratory through the creation of a functioning website with e-commerce features. The effects of Search Engine Optimization, website accessibility issues, marketing considerations, security concerns, and common business models and strategies regarding web development are examined. Features such as an automated quoting system and a customer portal are also implemented for use at a material testing laboratory