Welcome! to Senator Murray’s improved
website, which was launched in April 2003. This updated
version makes major improvements in content, accessibility,
navigation and usability.
We’ve tried to build this site around your needs.
We reviewed the comments from more than 2100 visitors who
filled out our web survey over
the past two years, and we drew on the best practices recommended
by various studies including the Congress
Online Project.
We welcome your comments on the site at: webmaster@murray.senate.gov
Highlights
Compared with the websites of all 100 United States Senators,
Senator Murray’s new site:
- Offers the most legislative content
- Is
“Section 508” compliant –
making it accessible for handicap visitors
- Offers the most useful section on applying
for Federal grants (Murray’s
Grants Gateway)
- Includes one of the most extensive Spanish
sections in the Senate
- Features a comprehensive video gallery including an
exclusive 25-minute
interview with Senator Murray
- Includes an interactive map that details Senator Murray’s
News in Your Neighborhood with a separate document detailing
local projects Sen. Murray funded in FY2003
Development: Senator Murray’s new
website is built around the user’s needs. The site
is built based on the recommendations of more than 2,100
visitors to the old site (see survey
results) and on the suggestions of website experts including
the Congress
Online Project.
Improvements: This updated version makes
major improvements to
- Content,
- Accessibility,
- Navigation and Usability.
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New Content
The Most Legislative Content
Senator Murray’s site offers the most legislative
content of any Senator’s official website. On every
issue, we detail: The Challenge, Murray’s Work, News
Releases and more. Our issue coverage is both broad and
deep.
Broad Coverage
We now cover more issue areas -- from 13 topics
on the old site to 399 on this site. Our coverage
is now both broader and deeper. For example, if you’re
interested in Homeland Security, you’ll find details
in Homeland Security,
Port Security, Coast
Guard and Transportation.
If you’re interested in Health Care, you’ll
find information in Health
Care, Prescription Drugs,
Telehealth, Veteran's
Health, Women’s Issues,
Rural Health and
Medicare.
Deep Coverage
Our issue pages include deep content written just for the
web. For example, the content in our Agriculture
section equals 33 pages (single-spaced, 8.5 x 11) –
and that’s not including our 76 agriculture news releases.
Other very deep sections include environment, transportation,
education and healthcare.
More Information About Patty
Our “About Patty”
section now has an updated biography and new features including:
More Help On-Line
-
In our new FAQ section,
we provide answers to common questions on a dozen topics.
-
If you’re writing to ask Senator Murray a question,
you’ll find tools to get answers on-line, so you
might not need to wait to get a reply.
-
We’ve improved our casework section, “Get
Help Dealing with a Federal Agency.” We now
provide answers to 25 frequently-asked-questions --
from dealing with the passport agency to solving problems
with Social Security.
Find Federal Grants
Senator Murray’s new Grants
Gateway gives visitors a chance to explore federal grant
funding. By debunking common myths and explaining the three
steps of the grant process, Senator Murray hopes to allow
more Washington State residents to get support for our communities.
We also include a 5-page guide in PDF format, “What
Grant Funders Look For” written by a grants expert.
This guide is only available on Senator Murray’s website.
News
More Multi-Media Content
-
We’ve added more photos to our photo
gallery and more videos to our video
gallery.
-
On every issue page, you’ll find photos related
to that issue.
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Accessibility
Section 508 Compliant
-
Our site is now more accessible to visitors with disabilities.
Our site meets the federal government’s “Section
508” accessibility standards and is "Bobby
Approved." It was designed to be compatible with
screen-reading programs and other assistive tools.
-
About Section 508: In 1998, Congress passed legislation
requiring Executive Branch agencies to make their electronic
data and information accessible to the disabled. Congressional
websites, however, were excluded from this requirement.
Senator Murray has decided to make her website Section
508 compliant to give disabled visitors full access.
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Spanish Section
We’ve added a section in Spanish that includes Sen.
Murray's biography, news releases, examples of her work
with the Latina community and quotes from community leaders.
We’ll continue to develop this section over the coming
months.
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Navigation & Usability
Hot Tasks Are Up Front:
-
The most common tasks are available directly on the
front page including our office address, phone and fax
numbers. You’ll find a section to “Contact
Patty” and a button on the top right to “Send
an E-mail to Senator Murray”
-
Our “How Do I?” list (top right of the
home page) gives you a direct link to the most common
requests.
-
We’ve revised all of our forms so you can fill
them out on your computer (flags, intern application,
page application, privacy release form, etc)
Improved Navigation
-
We’ve streamlined the navigation into six main
functions on the left side of every page. On issue pages,
we provide an additional level of navigation on the
top right.
-
We’ve also added a search feature powered by
Atomz technology.
And there’s more to come. In the coming months, we’ll
be adding new content and tools. Stay tuned.
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Photo Credits
Masthead:
The Hanford Reach on the Columbia River.
- Photo by Joel W. Rogers (www.joelrogers.com)
Senator Murray protected the Hanford
Reach as a national monument .
Masthead images (rotating):
|
Wheat field with Barn – Photo by Randy Forbes.
Courtesy Randy Forbes and the Washington Association
of Wheat Growers and Wheat Life Magazine |
|
A Container ship at the Port of Tacoma
with Mount Rainier in the background.
- Photo by Joel Rogers. |
|
Fields of tulips in the Skagit Valley.
- Photo by Joel Rogers. |
|
Wheat Barns in the Palouse.
- Photo by Joel Rogers. |
|
A ferry travels near the Port of Seattle.
- Photo by Joel Rogers |
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Utilities
To take full advantage of our site, you’ll want to
use the following utilities.
Internet Browser: Our site was designed
for the latest versions of Internet Explorer and Netscape.
If the pages don’t display properly, please update
your browser.
Our
site features downloadable, printable versions of several
documents for easy distribution. These pages are in Adobe
PDF format. If you do not already have it, we recommend
that you download and install the latest version of the
free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
There
are also many videos on our site that are available in two
formats: Real Media and QuickTime.
We recommend upgrading to the latest versions of these players
for the best possible experience with our streaming video.
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