Online Services - Social Security Administration Margy LaFond (Opening slide. Leave on screen until speaker is ready to begin.) Who we are In 1994, the Social Security Administration became one of the first Government agencies to build a website. Social Security Online has since become: • 200,000 pages, maintained by more than 80 webmasters, and visited by close to 33 million visitors last year; • Award-winning, for its innovation and scope and presentation of information; • User-focused and information-rich • Home to a secure suite of services that should be the first stop for people seeking to conduct Social Security business People can visit Social Security Online to: • Estimate their Social Security retirement, disability, and survivors benefits using the Benefits Planners • Apply for Social Security retirement, spouse's and disability benefits online • Replace a lost Medicare card by simply filling out an online form • Identify what Social Security benefits they may be eligible for, using the Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool (BEST) • Use Password Services (after registering and receiving a password) to: --Check their personal Social Security records --Change the address or phone number we have for them on our records --Check the status of their account • Find information on everything from training to employer incentives for hiring people with disabilities at our "Work Site" • Request a Social Security Statement, a Benefit Verification Letter, or a replacement 1099 • Download forms most frequently requested by the public • Get the latest Social Security developments by subscribing to eNews, our online magazine • Get directions to the field office closest to their home • Submit wage reports (employers) • Find out how to verify Social Security Numbers of newly hired employees (employers) • Set up Direct Deposit of payments and check their status (vendors). How we do it Focus groups and usability testing have taught us how important user focus is when presenting the large amounts of information we provide. To accommodate our customers' language and ability-related needs, we: • Provide several "gateways" for discrete audiences, such as: -- Multilanguage Gateway, providing Social Security information in Chinese, Korean, Tagalog and Vietnamese -- En Espanol, the Spanish version of many Social Security Online pages -- Immigration Page, for new arrivals to the U.S. -- American Indian & Alaska Natives gateway -- Asian American & Pacific Islanders gateway -- Representing Clients -- Women's Page -- Services for Businesses • Review all our web pages for compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires access to electronic and information technology for people with disabilities Most recently, we've developed a redesigned home page that allows people instantly to find information relating to events in their lives, such as: • Retirement • Marriage • Having a baby • Divorce • Death in the family • Becoming disabled, etc.). And, as part of the redesign, we've created a more appropriate "look and feel" using professional-level, eye-catching graphics to help people find information and make them feel comfortable using our site What others think We've become a top award winner among government and private sector sites, having won: • Government Solutions Center's Explorer Award for innovation • A PC/Computing magazine "101 Best Net Bets" for scope of information • Washington Post Business "ultimate web site," for the online Social Security Statement • 2001 Gold Award (the highest honor) from The Newsletter on Newsletters, for eNews, our electronic magazine. eNews also has been cited as one of the top 10 newsletters in the world (public and private sector), and as the Number One electronic newsletter in Government. It soon will have 250,000 subscribers!