The Department of Justice published a rule in April 2024 for state and local governments to follow to ensure websites and mobile apps were accessibile to people with disabilities.
Our deadline for compliance is April 24, 2027.
Here you can find information and resources detailing how to make sure your website abides by accessibility compliance.
Accessibility Guidelines
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Version 2.1, Level AA, is the standard for web content and mobile apps.
- Content must be Perceivable
- Text alternatives for non-text content
- Captions and other alternatives for multimedia
- Content that can be presented using assistive technologies without losing meaning
- Make it easier for users to see and hear content (color, contrast, audio control, etc)
- Content must be Operable
- All functionality must be available from a keyboard
- Enough time must be available to read and use content
- No content that causes seizures or other physical reactions
- Content must be easily navigable
- Also easy to use with inputs other than a keyboard
- Content must be Understandable
- Text must be readable and easily understood
- Content should appear and operate in predictable ways
- Content should be designed for users to avoid and correct mistakes (labels, instructions, error suggestion)
- Content must be Robust
- Content compatibility with current and future tools should be maximized
Click here to learn more about WCAG 2.1 Level AA
Click here for the Department of Justice Accessibility Fact Sheet
Accessibility First Steps
- Identify your web and mobile content
- Websites
- Web Content (HTML, PDFs, Videos, Images, etc)
- Social Media
- Mobile Apps
- Determine which content needs to comply with accessibility
- Websites with services offered
- Social Media Posts
- PDF Documents
- Links to Third Party Websites
- Some content may fall under the exception:
- Archived Web Content (created before deadline; contained retained exclusively for reference, research, or recordkeeping; not altered after archiving; is organized and stored in area identified for archival)
- Preexisting Electronic Documents (PDFs, Word Processor documents, Presentation files, Spreadsheet files)
- Content Posted by Third Parties
- Preexisting Social Media Posts
- After determining what needs to be compliant, prioritize that content first to meet the deadline
Click here to learn more about Accessibility First Steps
Common Accessibility Issues
Using Non-508 Compliant Images
Avoid text in images. If it is impossible, make sure that this text is repeated in the name of the image. If there is too much information on the picture, put this information in the content. Administrators reserve the right to remove any images that violate 508 Compliance. We suggest using our shared images for image use.
Using PDFs to Display Important Content
No matter how tempting it is, you should never use a PDF to display content that users need to read online. Accessing PDF files while browsing too often disrupts our audience flow. The layout of these PDFs are suitable for a sheet of paper but they are not meant for web browser viewing.
They involve a lot of scrolling and zooming due to small fonts, as well as, taking the user away from the website by downloading a file to their device, which oftentimes require a 3rd party software to view the PDFs contents. PDF is meant to facilitate printing therefore any information that needs to be browsed should be converted into our web pages.
Have you loaded a PDF on your mobile device and enjoyed the experience? Our audience doesn’t like the experience either!
Check out this article explaining the guidelines for using PDFs.
