A hand holds a smartphone displaying the gov.gr mobile website, showing the mAIgov AI assistant and a solemn declaration service page, against a blue background.
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Gov.gr Case Study

Accessible Government Services

A Few Words

Gov.gr is the Greek government’s online platform that enables the completion and processing of time-consuming, bureaucratic procedures. It is used by millions of Greek citizens and thousands of businesses, who can quickly and easily find a wide range of digital services.

The Goal

Enhancing the accessibility of the 12 most popular digital services on the Gov.gr platform (used by millions of citizens), so that as many citizens with disabilities as possible can use them. The services we reviewed included the issuance of authorization, responsible declarations, birth certificates, family status certificates, and marriage registration. That was boiled down to two main objectives:

  • Identify and prioritize the accessibility issues across all 12 services
  • Remediation of issues and certification of the 12 services’ compliance with international web accessibility standards, according to WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.1.

A desktop monitor displaying the gov.gr homepage, showing the main search interface, the mAIgov AI assistant panel, and a service categories grid below.

The Challenge

The challenges unfold in three parts:

  • Coverage. Twelve service templates, each with its own structure and interactions. We needed a systematic way to find issues and fix the ones with the widest reach first.
  • Rigour. Meeting WCAG 2.1 meant every fix had to be verified, not just applied. Overlay tools and “quick” fixes were not enough. The platform needed deep, issue-by-issue work and repeated expert re-auditing.
  • Real-world validation. Passing a technical check does not prove a service works for someone using a screen reader. So we tested with real users and fed what we found back into the fixes.
A smartphone displaying the gov.gr authentication screen, asking users to select their provider to log in, with options for Taxisnet credentials and National Bank of Greece.

The Solution

We applied our accessibility methodology: a structured approach that combines expert-based audits, guided remediation, and usability testing with users with disabilities.

Our methodology covers the full range of technical expertise needed to address digital accessibility issues and goes beyond limitations such as:

  • Automated tools catch only a fraction of accessibility issues.
  • Accessibility Overlays (or widgets) usually patch surface problems while leaving the complex ones unresolved.
  • Even full technical compliance does not prove that a real person can use a digital service.

The work ran across eight stages:

  1. First accessibility audit, manual expert review, plus automated testing.
  2. First round of remediation/fixes.
  3. Second accessibility audit.
  4. Second round of fixes.
  5. Usability testing with 10 users with disabilities.
  6. Third round of fixes, based on the usability testing.
  7. Final audit on specific templates to verify that all the issues up to stage 6 are resolved.
  8. Accessibility Statement.

Every audit-fix-re-audit cycle meant no issue was signed off without an independent check. We performed usability testing at Stage 5, after most of the technical work was done, so that participants encountered a much-improved platform, and any remaining barriers reflected real usability gaps rather than unfinished fixes. During remediation, we worked closely with GRNET, the organization that builds the Gov.gr services.

Two smartphones displaying gov.gr mobile forms: an authorized representative details form on the left, and a next-of-kin certificate form on the right, illustrating accessible digital government forms.
Two smartphones displaying gov.gr mobile screens: a certificate type selection screen on the left, and a COVID-19 digital certificate form on the right, showing accessible government service design.
A laptop displaying the gov.gr website, showing a service page for issuing a solemn declaration, with the mAIgov AI assistant visible in the header.

Project Outcome & Impact

This was the first organized, accessibility expert-led effort to tackle digital accessibility on Gov.gr and, as far as we know, on any public-sector platform in Greece.

  • Accessibility Issues Fixed

    46

  • Mean User Satisfaction after Testing

    6.0/7

  • Citizens With Disabilities

    1.5M

The current state is that most Greek public-sector properties use accessibility overlays. Projects like this one show that cycles of expert auditing, remediation, and usability testing with real users with disabilities may not be the fastest route, but they are the one that delivers valid results you can stand behind, results that account for the experience of real people.

We are proud of our work and humbled by the recognition.

  • Best Citizen Experience

    Gold

    Client
    Gov.gr
    Event
    UX / CX Awards 2023

  • Disabilities / Chronic Diseases

    Silver

    Client
    Gov.gr
    Event
    Diversity & Inclusion Awards 2023