NYS Forum

2008 NYS Webmasters' Guild "Best of the Web" Award Winners

State Government
NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
http://www.otda.state.ny.us

Site Information

Date Launched: February 2001 - redesigned October 2007

Approximate Number of Monthly Unique Visitors: 214,000

Site Developers: OTDA Public Information Office, Contractor (Professional Development Program)

Summary and Background

The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) website was developed to assist low-income families and community-based organizations in finding information on the programs and services provided by OTDA. In April 2007, Daria Albini (OTDA Public Information Office) and Jason Morris (Professional Development Program) were tasked with realigning the OTDA website to better meet the needs of OTDA's target audience - the low-income families of New York State and the public advocates and non-profit organizations that serve them.

The site's navigation was reorganized to reduce the number of navigation options available to user on the homepage. Second-level navigation pages were created with content summaries below all links to guide users to the specific information they are looking for. A new "How to Apply" page was created and the language on all programs and services pages were reviewed to focus on the needs of users interested in what OTDA has to offer them.

User testing of the new site was completed by different populations early in the development process that yielded valuable feedback. Users across the board commented positively on the new site organization and layout while expressing interest in timely news updates. Comments collected during test helped to shape the redesign and ultimately led to the new site's launch in October 2007. Since launch, OTDA has increased the frequency of featured news and featured links postings on the homepage and has continued to utilize for user feedback to further improve the site for OTDA's targeted audience.

Technology Overview

All pages on the OTDA website are valid XHTML 1.0 Strict and adhere to Section 508 and NYS Accessibility Standards. ASP is used to deliver navigation elements, search functions and server-side form validation. Client-side form validation is done with JavaScript, degrading gracefully to server-side validation for users without JavaScript availability. All pages use also structured semantic markup and cascading style sheets for visual layout.

Functionality

OTDA offers services to a very diverse client base and has developed semi-mirrored sites in Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish to help reach more of those clients. These translated sites use the same layout as the English site and also adhere to Section 508 and NYS Accessibility Standards.

The OTDA site has gone through extensive browser testing to ensure that the site displays as intended on the most widely-used browsers and devices. Additional accessibility features include "jump to content" links at the top of all pages, informational link titles, and breadcrumb navigation. For pages with downloadable content, contact information is provided so that users can request material in the format most accessible to them.

Working with OFT, OTDA implemented a Google Search Appliance on the site, replacing a non-functioning search tool with a robust search application that has been received positive feedback from users. Following search usage statistics, OTDA has refined site content and organization further to help users find what they are looking for faster.

Efficiencies Associated with this Site

The redesign of OTDA's website utilized existing funding sources. The project was worked into our normal business process and was produced in six months.

The new design reduced page weight and total server calls, resulting in faster load times for users and reduced bandwidth usage by the agency.

The number of site-related questions sent to the agency via email has dropped significantly since launch, reducing the amount of time agency employees spend providing email support.

Service to Customers

Low-income families who are unsure of what programs and services may be available to them can find program descriptions, eligibility requirements and the steps to apply, quickly, in a language they can easily follow. Similarly, advocates and community-based programs can find more detailed information and materials ready for distribution to the clients they serve, in many languages.

Contacts:

Daria M. Albini

Program Outreach Specialist

NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance

Public Information Office

40 N. Pearl Street, 16th Floor

Albany, NY 12243

(518) 474-7718

daria.albini@otda.state.ny.us

 

Jason Morris

Professional Development Program

Rockefeller College University of Albany

State University of New York

22 Corporate Woods Blvd., 3rd Floor

Albany, NY 12211

(518) 320-3780

jmorris@pdp.albany.edu