South Carolina Takes State Website “2.0”

Here is something that you don’t see too often, government agencies using web 2.0 technologies to make their site and content more accessible to the masses.

While it’s rare, it appears that South Carolina has taken some huge steps in making their state’s website more accessible and interactive.

From SC.gov:

“By updating the state’s site with Web 2.0 features, South Carolina citizens are informed of and have access to services in a way that is convenient and usable for them. At the same time, these features allow them to share information with others in an online community,” said Barbara Teusink, Deputy Chief Information Officer of the State Budget and Control Board.  “South Carolina government is dedicated to promoting information and applications to all users and we are excited about the ability to reach new demographic groups through these features and improve the ease of use for all users.”

http://www.SC.gov added Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter accounts to engage more of the state’s citizens using social-networking sites.  These additions reach a new generation of users in a medium that is familiar to them.

A new Help Section was also created that lets users view video and listen to audio clips of frequently asked questions.  All video and audio clips are enhanced for users with disabilities, which makes viewing and listening accessible to all citizens and ensures users are getting the information they need.

These are advancements I’d like to see more governments (on all levels) make in the very near future.

We need our government to be more accessible and transparent, and if used the right way, the internet is a great way to enable that.

Some of South Carolina’s online communities:

Facebook

MySpace

Twitter