POC for Changes: Georgia.gov Interactive
Synopsis: Domain naming convention and Federal Dot-Gov Final Rule.

1.1.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of the GTA Portal Domain Naming Standard is to create a consistent, predictable way to assign domain names for state agency websites and email addresses. Having a managed domain name such as georgia.gov unifies all state entities under one naming convention, establishes consistency and assures citizens that they are accessing an official government site.

1.1.2 SCOPE

All State of Georgia governmental entities and programs, including those governmental entities and programs of political subdivisions of the State of Georgia that request a georgia.gov or ga.gov domain name space for web or email usage.

Domain names ending in state.ga.us will no longer be issued, but the maintenance of existing names will be governed by the rules and conventions set forth in Federal RFC 1480.

1.1.3 STANDARD

Ownership: As the trustee and provider of the State of Georgia’s web presence, the Georgia Technology Authority will manage and authorize the assignment of third-level domain names under the georgia.gov and ga.gov second-level domains. Entities assigned a third-level domain name will manage the use of paths located within their sub-domains.

Eligibility: Eligibility for these domain names is limited to qualified State of Georgia (including its political subdivisions) government organizations and programs.

IP Address: All third-level domain names must point to a uniquely named server that has a direct address and a unique IP address.

Secure Socket Layer Certificates

Organizations are responsible for purchasing and managing Secure Socket Layer Certificates. GTA will authorize use of the georgia.gov and ga.gov domains for certificate providers.

Domain Name Registration Process

Requests for domains should be directed to Georgia.gov Interactive at [email protected]. Entities wishing to reserve a name for future or internal use (as opposed to an immediate need) may register as well.

The requestor must include the proposed domain name and the purpose of the website in which the domain name will be used. If approved by Georgia.gov Interactive, the request will be submitted to AT&T via OrderNow for creation.

* Note: The person applying for the domain name should be authorized to speak for the entire organization in this matter. The person must obtain the agreement of all interested parties within the organization prior to submission. GTA may require confirmation of a registration request from the Agency Head or highest ranking IT official.

Email Address Use

Eligible entities may request ga.gov email addresses (ex. @yourorg.ga.gov) through the same process and may use them prior to the establishment of a georgia.gov website. The email address should use the same naming convention as the organization’s third-level domain name character string (e.g. [email protected]).

Domain Name Selection

The requesting entity must ensure that it has the right to use the name it is requesting. GTA will check its DNS records and databases, and GTA will not issue a georgia.gov domain name to the organization that is in conflict with an officially recognized title (including the acronym) of another georgia.gov state government organization without further clarification.

The following additional general rules apply:

• Obscene names are not permitted.
• Permissible characters are lowercase letters and digits. No hyphens will be used.
• The word “georgia” cannot be in the third level domain name, since georgia is already in the second level domain.
• The agency acronym should suffice for most agency websites, as determined by the Office of Planning and Budget.
• Websites for statewide programs and initiatives may use either acronyms or a word that describes what the program is for or what it benefits - e.g., children.georgia.gov.

Domain Name Disputes

Georgia.gov Interactive will decide on all matters related to registration and subsequent use of an assigned georgia.gov domain name.

Disputed decisions can be appealed to the State CIO and Executive Director (or his/her designee). The GTA Executive Director is the final authority on all matters relating to registration and subsequent use of georgia.gov domain names.

Exemptions

Any state entity requesting a domain name that does not meet the general rules outlined in Section 3.7, Domain Name Selection, must submit an exemption request outlining the reason behind the exemption. GTA will work with entities requesting domain name exemptions from the guidelines to understand if the reasons for the exemption outweigh the benefits of consistency and predictability gained from adherence to the guidelines.

Second Level .gov Domains

As a rule, second level domains (xxx.gov) are not allowed. Any exceptions must be submitted to GTA’s Chief Technology Officer along with justification for the exception. Any new .gov domain requests must be approved by the state CIO.

Fourth-Level Domains (Ex: four.three.two.gov)

Fourth-level domain names are difficult to remember and are discouraged from use. The preferred option is to use a directory name that appears after the domain name - e.g., agency.georgia.gov/division.

PSG Number: SM-19-001
Topical Area: Web Design and Development
Issue Date: 8/28/2019
Effective Date: 8/28/2019
Document Type: Standard; Published (approved by Web Standards Group and GTA)
POC for Changes: Digital Services Georgia
Synopsis: Accessibility standards and guidelines for State of Georgia websites and applications.

Purpose

All individuals, regardless of ability, should be provided with equal access to web content in compliance with the WCAG 2.1 guidelines and standards specified below, which include, but are not limited to, websites, web-based applications, documents that exist online, and other digital properties.

Standard

WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance

All digital properties managed by state entities shall be accessible according to WCAG 2.1 (Level AA) Compliance standards. Accessibility is the practice of designing digital properties to provide users with equal access to site content, regardless of ability. While accessibility is often associated with providing assistance to individuals with disabilities, it is also of benefit to the general population in a variety of ways, some of which include an improvement in performance when having to rely on slower Internet connections such as mobile networks, individuals who have sustained a temporary injury such as a broken or sprained hand or arm, or situations in which individuals’ cognitive abilities are compromised due to a crisis or temporary health factors.

WCAG 2.1 AA requires that all websites, web applications, and other digital properties be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. In other words, users must be able to access, understand, and contribute to your content without having to rely solely on one single sense (hearing, seeing, touch, etc). Assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers) must be able to interpret meaning and purpose from the code provided. Some techniques to make your digital properties accessible include:

• Offering alternatives for content, such as images, video, and audio
• Choosing font sizes, text spacing, colors, and ease of zooming in on mobile making the experience more suitable for users with low vision or color-blindness
• Semantic markup and content structure that includes landmarks, useful labels, and roles to announce status changes making the experience more suitable for screenreader users
• Ensuring all content can be tabbed through with a keyboard, using sequential section headings and semantic markup
• Style your website so that it does not require a single display mode
• Provide simple alternatives (e.g. single tap vs. swipe) to potentially complex finger motions and interactions on touch screens
• Make it so the visibility of additional content (e.g. pop-ups, submenus) can be controlled by the user at all times
• Autocomplete for form inputs

Accessibility Statement and Site Contact

Each website shall feature an accessibility statement that describes the organization’s policy, efforts, and initiatives to meet accessibility needs. All accessibility statements must, at minimum, identify WCAG 2.1 (Level AA) compliance, per standard. If you do not wish to create your own accessibility statement, you may link to Georgia.gov’s Accessibility Policy.

Contact information must be provided for users seeking help, or those who are adversely impacted by an accessibility barrier.

Regular Accessibility Audits

Agencies must perform either an internal or external accessibility audit on all digital properties at least once every 36 months. Audits must be performed against WCAG 2.1 AA standards, and errors identified should be remediated within nine months of the audit. Audits should not rely on automated testing tools alone, but should also include manual testing and review.

The first audit is required to be a detailed, manual audit conducted by an external vendor. All subsequent audits can either be performed by an external vendor or by a trained accessibility staff member and can be done using online tools or services. Contact Digital Services Georgia for more information.

More frequent auditing is also encouraged and can be achieved using browser extensions that perform automated testing on your website's content as it changes. 

GTA reserves the right to audit an agency to validate that an accessibility test has been performed and successfully remediated within the 36-month period.

Accessibility Procurement

All solicitations and contracts for work involving digital properties within the scope of this standard must establish accessibility requirements to ensure that vendors are in compliance. Mandatory requirements include that all content, interfaces, and navigational elements must be WCAG 2.1 AA compliant and that all work produced should be regularly tested for accessibility concerns and remediated within the standard timeframe. (See suggested language for procurement solicitations and contracts as provided by the Digital Services Georgia team).

Resources

• NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) - Screen Reader for Windows only
• WAVE Accessibility Extension - Firefox extension Screen Reader
• Color Contrast Analyzer

References

1. W3C Accessibility Guidelines
2. Accessibility Evaluation Tools
3. W3C Techniques for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0