November 2021

National 4-H Website Recommendation Report  

Madison R. Mortimer 

New Mexico State University  

Executive Summary   

With a lot of useful information, the 4-H website can really only improve by providing simple aids and auditory accessibility features and diverse candid imagery. As the internet is being perfected, accessibility is always being questioned and improved on as more and more people advocate for their needs and abilities and provide ideas for websites to utilize to create a more universally accessible website. Including audio aids in partnership with the articles allows for those with visual impairments (temporary or permanent) to gain the same information they can also get from the articles and become included in the 4-H organization.  

Keywords:  candid, inclusive, diverse, auditory, visual, imagery   

4-H Website Recommendation Report  

4-H is a non-profit organization provided for youth participation by over 100 public universities across the United States. Their website is easy to find, a simple Google search takes users directly to the website, 4-h.org. Overall, the website is easy to navigate if the user understands basic computer skills. The website is quick to offer ways to donate, provide information on current issues, and advertise events and products in a slideshow of information with hyperlinks included. The images all show diverse participants and include non-human subjects as well to emphasize specific activity types and demonstrate how diverse the organization is.  

Statement of Problem 

While the 4-H website is intriguing, it also lacks certain accessibility features that may result in barriers between them and audience members. Throughout their website, I noticed a lot of text and images, which are great until a user is visually impaired or simply lacking the time and focus to read long articles.  Also, the organization of the site could potentially confuse visitors and prevent them from finding the essential information first. Understandably, the website is designed to spotlight the organization but could have chosen to place information to guide first-time visitors before advertising information for already existing members. The lack of audio information about the organization creates accessibility issues for those who cannot hear, which does not allow for them to access the information they may need to make an informed bias and decision about the organization. The images themselves may show a gender and racially diverse organization, but does not obviously show anyone with physical disabilities, which may lead to a feeling of exclusion for those that are handicapped in some way, which works against the organization’s message of inclusivity. The images rarely show participants in candid moments, which doesn’t highlight the things kids do while in the program. 

Discussion of Options  

The website shouldn’t necessarily remove the text and the information they do provide, but adding audio aids, organizing first-page content, and even adding more inclusive and candid images will create a more accessible website for users of all ability levels. Creating videos (with captions) that summarize information, especially in the “About 4-H” section, would make it easy for people to understand what the organization is and their mission. Candid images could even be participant-submitted photos to highlight 4-H in communities and the real-world. Videos are also a good way to include candid visuals of activities and participation in the organization. Videos can be short and include diverse voices to demonstrate the inclusivity the organization strives to emphasize. Content organization can also mitigate potential confusion between what is information and what is product. If the first display was a link to the information section, instead of a slideshow of advertising and information combined, 4-H can be properly presented as a non-profit organization for youth development rather than an educational resource store. 

Conclusion   

Overall, the 4-H website is easy to read and maneuver with basic computer knowledge. However, certain accessibility features and imagery need to be implemented to better serve the diverse youth that participate in the organization and can also be a good opportunity to emphasize how 4-H impacts communities across the country. Accessibility features can be simple videos with captions that break down the page of text to assist those with visual disabilities or those who cannot read chunky articles. Including more candid images of activities and those with disabilities will also better paint the image of the diverse and inclusive program 4-H strives to maintain.  

​Reference 

4-H Home Page. 4-H. (2021, October 28). Retrieved November 2, 2021, from https://4-h.org/.