Citizens submitted records requests via email or mail. Agency staff spent hundreds of hours manually searching legacy document repositories and redacting personal identifying information (PII) using basic PDF editing software, leading to a three-month request backlog and non-compliance with state response deadlines.
Engineering an Accessible Public Records Request Portal for a State Agency
A state environmental protection agency sought to streamline Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and improve digital accessibility compliance.
Challenge
Solution
FlipWorks developed a WCAG 2.1 AA compliant public records portal equipped with an automated document search and redaction workbench. Citizens track request progress online, while agency staff use automated search filters and built-in redaction tools to prepare records for public release securely.
Result
- Reduced average FOIA request fulfillment time from ninety days to under ten business days.
- Achieved full WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility compliance across all public-facing request screens.
- Automated document search indexing, reducing manual file search hours for agency staff.