Digital Accessibility Policies, Guidelines and Resources

The Town of Frederick Digital Accessibility Policies, Guidelines and Resources

Accessibility Statement

Our Commitment

The Town of Frederick is dedicated to ensuring that all our digital services are accessible to the broadest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability. We are steadfast in our efforts to improve the accessibility and usability of our website, striving to meet or exceed Level AA conformance as specified by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines v2.1 (WCAG 2.1). Our commitment extends beyond digital accessibility to encompass all aspects of service to our community. 

The Town’s mission aligns with our Accessibility Plan by fostering an exceptional and inclusive community that is Built on What Matters. We are committed to creating a culture of FAMILY, where individuals are RESPECTED, EMPOWERED by one another, and DEDICATED to the prosperity and well-being of our Town.

Website Assistance and Contact Information

For assistance with any function on our website, please contact our dedicated representatives at 720.382.5500 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Our team is ready to provide the necessary support to ensure accessibility for all users.

Accommodation Requests and Feedback

We welcome feedback and requests for reasonable accommodations to improve accessibility. Please contact our ACCESSIBILITY Coordinator through the following means:

Submit Accommodation Request via Online Form

Phone: 720.382.5500
E-mail: accessibility@frederickco.gov
Visitor Address: 311 Fifth Street, Frederick CO 80530

Within 7 calendar days of receiving a request or report of inaccessible content, our ACCESSIBILITY Coordinator will engage directly with the person to explore potential solutions. Following this discussion, within 14 calendar days, the Coordinator will provide a response in a format accessible to the requester, detailing possible resolutions. Should the initial response not fully address the concerns, the requester or their representative may escalate the issue by submitting a grievance through the Town Attorney’s Office.

Through continuous effort and dedication, we aim to enhance the accessibility of our services, ensuring that all members of our community can participate fully and equally.

Digital Accessibility Policy

In accordance with Colorado Laws for Persons with Disabilities (HB21-1110), the Town of Frederick must provide persons with disabilities equal access to Town programs, services, and activities, including those programs, services, and activities that are made available through Town websites and other online technology. This policy has been developed to promote equal access to such programs, services, and activities provided through the Town to persons with disabilities. This policy applies to all online technologies, including Town customer-facing websites, mobile applications, electronic communication, and digital documents such as portable document format (PDF).

Policy Statement

  1. New and redesigned web content published on the town's online technologies after the effective date of this policy will conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance, with the exception of content specifically excluded from this policy.
  2. Existing web content published prior to the effective date of this policy will either be archived or modified to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance or to the maximum extent feasible, with the exception of content specifically excluded from this policy. Web content hosted on town’s public websites will be evaluated, prioritized, and scheduled for remediation no later than July 1, 2024.
  3. No particular technology or design approach is required. The aim is to maximize access to and use of the Town’s online technologies by persons with disabilities.

Roles and Responsibilities

Digital Accessibility Coordinator(s)

  • Establish grievance procedure
  • Coordinate the town's compliance with this policy
  • Prepare and provide accessibility training and guidance
  • Develop accessibility compliance standards
  • Develop procurement guidelines and standards for new technologies
  • Promote web accessibility awareness internally
  • Respond to user inquiries related to web accessibility
  • Organize on-going assessment of the accessibility of town technologies
  • Establish an Accessibility Committee to oversee ongoing compliance of this policy
  • Perform annual audits and prepare annual status reports for presentation to the Accessibility Committee
  • Information and Technology (IT) Department
  • Attend accessibility training as provided by the Digital Accessibility Coordinator(s)
  • Choose and implement tools that conform to this policy
  • Provide tools to support in automated accessibility testing
  • Participate in Accessibility Committee meetings as needed

Website Administration Team, Content Creators and Department Champions

  • Attend appropriate and regular accessibility training as provided by the Digital Accessibility Coordinator(s)
  • Fix accessibility issues identified by the Digital Accessibility Coordinator(s)
  • Identify inaccessible online content and remediate
  • Champion accessibility best practices within the department
  • Provide mentorship to department document authors
  • Participate in Accessibility Committee meetings as needed

Leadership

  • Complete accessibility training as provided by the Digital Accessibility Coordinator(s)
  • Comply with this policy

Authors of Documents Intended for Public Use

  • Attend accessibility training as provided by the Digital Accessibility Coordinator(s)
  • Comply with this policy

General Staff

  • Attend accessibility training as provided by the Digital Accessibility Coordinator(s)
  • Comply with this policy 

Undue Burden, Fundamental Alteration, or Direct Threat

The Town of Frederick is committed to providing accessible services to all individuals, including those with disabilities. However, there may be instances where full compliance with all accessibility standards might not be achievable due to:

  • Undue Burden: Implementing certain accessibility measures may pose an unreasonable financial, technical, or administrative burden on our limited resources, potentially impacting our ability to deliver essential services effectively.
  • Fundamental Alteration: Strict adherence to accessibility standards could fundamentally change the nature of some of our programs, services, or activities, rendering them unfeasible or ineffective.
  • Direct Threat: In rare cases, full accessibility might pose a direct threat to the health or safety of individuals, requiring specific risk assessments and alternative solutions.

In such situations, the Town of Frederick will:

  • Demonstrate the burden or risk: We will transparently explain the specific reasons why full compliance is not achievable in a particular instance.
  • Explore alternative solutions: We will actively seek alternative solutions or reasonable accommodations that effectively address accessibility needs without causing undue burden, fundamental alteration, or direct threat. This may include providing different formats of information, alternative communication methods, or accessible technology solutions.

If you encounter any barriers to accessing our services, please submit an accommodation request or call 720.382.5500. 

Exclusions

While the Town of Frederick strives for accessibility compliance the following content types may create an undue burden. However, this doesn't mean the information is inaccessible. Accommodation requests can be made to explore alternative solutions for understanding this content.

  • Syndicated content is excluded from this policy such as social media streams
  • Blueprints
  • Architectural drawings
  • Diagrams displaying information that is also provided in narrative text
  • Complex and/or atypical images and diagrams
  • Scanned historical publications
  • Handwritten correspondence
  • Technical drawings
  • Site plans, development plans, and maps
  • Complex and comprehensive tables and charts
  • Any image where there is no logical methodology to create an alternate description that will make the image understandable to assistive technology

Accommodation Requests and Issue Submission Procedure

Online accessibility-related accommodation requests or issue identification should be submitted or via email at accessibility@frederickco.gov. This is the information required to submit an accommodation request:

  1. Name of the person initiating the request or identifying an issue
  2. Address
  3. Phone number
  4. Please provide a complete description of the specific request/issue
  5. Program or location of the issue on the website

Alternative means of submitting an issue/request, such as personal interviews or a tape recording of the issue/request will be accepted for persons with disabilities upon request. Though personal details are required to adequately record and respond to the issue/request, these details will be treated with the utmost confidentiality except as required otherwise by Colorado Open Records Act.

For employment related issues/requests the Town of Frederick ACCESSIBILITY Policy governs that process and can be discussed with the human resources department. 

Response Timeline

Within 7 calendar days after receipt of the issue/request, a member of the town’s ACCESSIBILITY Coordinator will contact the person initiating the issue/request to discuss the problem and the possible resolutions. Within 14 calendar days of the meeting, the ACCESSIBILITY Coordinator will respond in a format accessible to the submitter. The response will offer options for a resolution. If the response by the accessibility committee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue/request, the submitter or their designee may submit a grievance through the Towns Attorney’s Office.

Grievance Procedure

Under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act this Grievance Procedure is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. It may be used by anyone who wishes to file a complaint alleging discrimination on the basis of disability in the provision of services, activities, programs, or benefits by the Town of Frederick (“Town”). The Town’s Administrative Policy Manual governs employment-related complaints of disability discrimination. 

The complaint should be in writing and contain information about the alleged discrimination such as name, address, phone number of complainant and location, date, and description of the problem. A Complaint/Grievance Form can be obtained below. Alternative means of filing complaints, such as personal interviews or a tape recording of the complaint will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request.

The complaint should be submitted by the grievant or their designee as soon as possible but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation to the ACCESSIBILITY Coordinator as follows:

Jason Meyers
Town Attorney
401 Locust St.
Frederick, CO 80530

  • Via email at accessibility@Frederickco.gov
  • Via telephone 720.382.5539 (available Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Mountain time excluding observed Town holidays)
  • Via Relay Colorado (Deaf and Hearing Impaired Citizens) Call 7-1-1.

Response Timeline

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, the ACCESSIBILITY Coordinator or their designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and any possible resolutions. Within 30 calendar days of the meeting, the ACCESSIBILITY Coordinator or their designee will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, such as large print, Braille, or audio tape. The response will explain the Town’s position and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.

If the response by the ACCESSIBILITY Coordinator or their designee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant or their designee may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the Town Manager.

Within 20 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the Town Manager or their designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 30 calendar days after the meeting, the Town Manager or their designee will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint. 

All written complaints received by the ACCESSIBILITY Coordinator or their designee, appeals to the Town Manager, and responses from these two offices will be retained by Town for at least three (3) years. Alternative forms of this Grievance Procedure are available upon request.

Complaints may also be filed with the following state and federal agencies:

Colorado Civil Rights Division
1560 Broadway
Lobby Level Welcome Center Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 894-2997
V/TTD—Relay: 711
Fax: (303) 894-7830
Email: DORA_CCRD@state.co.us Colorado Civil Rights Division Website

U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights Section – 1425 NYAV Washington, DC 20530
Fax: (202) 307-1197 

Grievance Vs. Accommodation Request

What is the difference between submitting a grievance versus an accommodation request/online issue?

A request for accommodation is when an individual or their representative requests a change or modification in order to participate in an event or service. A grievance can be filed if the individual disagrees with the Accessibility Coordinator's decision on the accommodation or to report a violation of the ADA.

Department Accessibility Champions

Each department in the Town of Frederick will have a minimum of one department champion. They will be responsible for creating and remediating PDFs for online accessibility, making sure their online content is accessible and serving as the department liaison for digital accessibility if their team members have questions.

Department champions will follow a training program and utilize Allyant to remediate PDFs. They serve on the Website and Digital Accessibility Committee and will be available to help create remediation plans for any issues that arise in their department.

List of Department Accessibility Champions

  • Planning
  • Engineering
  • Public Works
  • Parks
  • Town Managers Office
  • Police
  • Eco Devo
  • Town Clerks
  • Building
  • Finance
  • Bella Rosa
  • IT/GIS

Staff Training Requirements

All Accessibility Champions will be required to complete the Enterprise Accessibility Course offered by The Accessibility Guy. This course is designed to give a broad and specific overview of best accessibility practices. The Enterprise Accessibility Course consists of the following courses:

  • Learn the Basics
  • Accessibility Mastery – Microsoft Word
  • Accessibility Mastery – Microsoft Excel
  • Accessibility Mastery – Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Accessibility Mastery – Adobe Acrobat
  • Getting to Compliance

Procurement & Our Current Digital Services

Policy for Procurement of Digital Services

Purpose

As of September 2021, the state of Colorado passed a new law, HB21-1110, which requires all state and local government entities to ensure that their digital services are accessible to people with disabilities. This policy aligns with the requirements of HB21-1110 by mandating the procurement of digital services by the Town of Frederick meet the WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards.

Scope

This policy applies to all digital services purchased or contracted for by the Town of Frederick, including but not limited to websites, web applications, mobile applications, and digital documents.

Policy Statement

The Town of Frederick shall procure digital services that meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards to ensure that all users, including those with disabilities, have equal access to digital services.

Requirements:

  • Procurement documents: All procurement documents for digital services must include requirements for WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards. This includes specifying the level of compliance required and referencing the relevant accessibility standards.
  • Evaluation of vendors: The Town of Frederick shall evaluate potential vendors for their expertise in accessibility, including reviewing their accessibility policies, practices, and experience working on accessibility projects.
  • Accessibility testing: Potential vendors shall be required to conduct accessibility testing on their digital services to ensure they meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance. This testing should include both automated and manual testing.
  • Contract language: The contract with the vendor shall include specific requirements for WCAG2.1 Level AA compliance, including a statement that the vendor is responsible for ensuring the digital services meet these requirements. The contract shall also include provisions for addressing any accessibility issues that arise.
  • Monitoring compliance: The Town of Frederick shall monitor the vendor's compliance with the accessibility requirements specified in the contract. This shall include regular accessibility testing, reviewing accessibility documentation, and requesting remediation of any accessibility issues that arise.
  • Implementation: The Town of Frederick shall ensure that all staff involved in the procurement of digital services are aware of this policy and its requirements. This policy shall be incorporated into all relevant procurement procedures and guidelines.
  • Enforcement: The Town of Frederick shall enforce this policy through regular monitoring of compliance and by taking appropriate action, including withholding payment or terminating the contract, in the event of non-compliance.

Conclusion

This policy ensures that the Town of Frederick procures digital services that are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. By complying with WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards, the Town of Frederick ensures that its digital services are inclusive and provide equal access to all users.

Procurement Contract Language

The Town of Frederick affords equal opportunity to individuals in its employment, services, programs, and activities in accordance with the laws, including Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and C.R.S. 24-85- 104, ARTICLE 85. "INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED.". This includes effective communication and access to electronic and information communication technology resources for individuals with disabilities pursuant to State of Colorado Technical Standard TS-OEA-001: Technology Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities; State of Colorado Technical Standard TS-OEA-002: Technology Accessibility for Web Content and Applications; and W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines WCAG 2.1 (collectively, “Standards”). To this end, [Software Developer] shall: (1) read, review, and understand the Standards; (2) develop software with intent to comply with the Standards (which currently require compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA); (3) prior to delivery of any software, test it for compliance with the applicable Standards and report testing results to the Town in a VPAT or other format specified by the Town; (4) use best commercial efforts to modify the software to maximize accessibility compliance and otherwise resolve any identified accessibility compliance issues; and (5) ultimately deliver software that complies with the Standards, to the extent feasible as determined by the Town. Pending verification of compliance with this provision, the Town is authorized, but not required, to withhold any payment to [Software Developer] pursuant to this agreement. [Software shall not be considered in compliance with this provision unless or until the Town’s Director of Information Technology or their designee has approved.]

If a [Software Developer] claims the website satisfies the applicable WCAG Standard, and it is later determined by the Town that any part of the website is not in compliance, Town will promptly inform [Software Developer] in writing of the noncompliance, and [Software Developer] shall, at no cost to Town, remediate website within the time period specified by Town. If [Software Developer] fails timely to make the remediation, Town may, in addition to any other rights or remedies: (a) cancel the contract (or the specific deliverable) without termination liabilities and/or (b) perform, or have performed any necessary remediation, and [Software Developer] shall promptly reimburse Town (or Town may credit against any sums due [Software Developer]) the amount of any expenses incurred thereby.

Policy For Outside Consultants Providing Compliant Documents

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all documents provided by outside consultants to the Town of Frederick for online projects are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. To achieve this goal, outside consultants providing services to the agency must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.

Scope

This policy applies to all outside consultants providing services to the Town of Frederick, including but not limited to document creation, editing, and formatting.

Policy

Compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA: All outside consultants providing documents to the Town of Frederick for online projects must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA for accessibility. This includes but is not limited to document structure, formatting, and alternative text for non-text content.

Document Creation: All documents provided by outside consultants to the Town of Frederick for online projects must be created with accessibility in mind. This includes using appropriate headings, lists, and alternative text for non-text content.

Document Review: Town of Frederick will review all documents provided by outside consultants for compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. If non-compliance is identified, the outside consultant must take corrective action to ensure compliance.

Contract Requirements: All contracts between the Town of Frederick and outside consultants must include language requiring compliance with this policy. The contract must specify the requirements for WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance for documents and the consequences of non- compliance.

Training

All outside consultants must complete training on accessibility and WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance prior to providing services to the Town of Frederick. The training must cover best practices for creating accessible documents and the requirements of WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

Review

Town of Frederick will conduct periodic reviews of all documents provided by outside consultants for compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

Consequences of Non-Compliance: Failure to comply with this policy may result in termination of the contract with the outside consultant and may preclude the consultant from working with the Town of Frederick in the future.

Conclusion

This policy ensures that all documents provided by outside consultants to the Town of Frederick for online projects are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. By requiring outside consultants to comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the agency is demonstrating its commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.

Vendor Accessibility Agreements for Our Current Digital Services

The Town Attorney and the Digital Accessibility Coordinator(s) created a vendor agreement for vendors to sign to ensure their compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. See the content of the agreement below.

On June 30, 2021, Colorado HB21-1110 strengthened Colorado law for protection against discrimination against persons with disabilities; specifically, it requires accessibility to government information technology. To comply, all online experiences provided by the Town of Frederick must achieve “Level AA” conformance according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines v2.1 (WCAG 2.1).

In order comply with the law, [platform name] must meet the WCAG 2.1 “Level AA” guidelines and perform functional accessibility evaluations or manual testing evaluations at least once per year. The evaluation results should be provided to the Town of Frederick within 30 days after testing. If [platform name] cannot meet these compliance standards or perform these evaluations, the Town of Frederick, at its sole discretion, may terminate any contract between the parties without recourse to obtain legally compliant platforms.

By signing this form, [platform name] hereby certifies that it will meet WCAG 2.1 “Level AA” compliance no later than July 1, 2024. In so certifying, [platform name] acknowledges and agrees that [platform name] will ensure compliance in testing, maintaining, and updating, and will swiftly resolve and remediate all accessibility issues discovered while the Town of Frederick utilizes [platform name].

Toolbox

Accessibility Principles

The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) has developed the POUR principles for web accessibility, which provide guidelines for creating websites that are perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.

  • Perceivable: This principle refers to making sure that web content can be perceived by all users. This includes providing text alternatives for non-text content, such as images and videos, and making sure that content is presented in a clear and easy-to-read format.
  • Operable: This principle is about ensuring that web content is operable by all users, regardless of their abilities. This includes providing keyboard accessibility, making sure that users can easily navigate through the site, and avoiding any content that could cause seizures or other physical reactions.
  • Understandable: This principle is about making sure that web content is understandable to all users. This includes using clear and simple language, organizing content in a logical and easy-to- understand way, and providing feedback to users when they complete actions on the site.
  • Robust: This principle is about making sure that web content is robust and can be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. This includes using valid HTML and CSS, avoiding deprecated code, and making sure that all content is accessible via multiple platforms and devices.
  • Learn More About Accessibility Principles HereView the WCAG Guidelines Here

Portable Document Format (PDF) Guidelines

When will a PDF will be added to our website?

Department Champions will upload a PDF to Civic Plus Document Center on the website if the document meets the following criteria:

  • The document that cannot be made into a news story or a landing page on the website. The best way to get information to the public is to add the information into a content area on either a news story or a landing page on the website. This ensures that search engines can crawl the information and get users the correct information in the fewest clicks possible.
  • The document exceeds five pages of content. If there are more than five pages associated with a document and the document cannot be split up into multiple landing pages, then that document will need to be uploaded to document central as an accessible PDF. Department Digital Accessibility Champions will need to upload the document to Allyant in order to remediate the document. The page limit for Allyant in 75 pages. If you document is over 75 pages then you will need to remediate it in sections and then finish the remediation process in Adobe Acrobat.

Exceptions

The below document types can be added to our online services with the following disclaimer and a short summary above the document:  

hyperlink: [Insert the short summary of the document] Upon request the Town will make reasonable accommodations for alternative access to the documents listed below. Submit the request for accommodation or call 720.382.5500.

  • Blueprints
  • Architectural drawings
  • Diagrams displaying information that is also provided in narrative text
  • Complex and/or atypical images and diagrams
  • Scanned historical publications
  • Handwritten correspondence
  • Technical drawings
  • Site plans, development plans, and maps
  • Complex and comprehensive tables and charts
  • Any image where there is no logical methodology to create an alternate description that will make the image understandable to assistive technology.

PDF Checklist

  • ALT Text: Add alternative text descriptions to images to help visually impaired users understand the content of the image. The alternative text should be concise, descriptive, and convey the purpose or function of the image.
  • Links: Do not use “Click Here”, instead use more descriptive language about the link destination like: “Visit Our Contact Us Page”. Also, make sure links stand out from surrounding text and don’t rely on color alone use an attribute like underline or bold.
  • Fonts: Use standard sans-serif fonts. Ornate fonts are hard to read.
  • Color: Color should not be the only way to convey content or distinguish visual elements. Text colors should have sufficient color contrast with background colors (WCAG Level AA requires contrast to be 4.5:1). Add shapes if color is used to indicate status.
  • Headings: Use logical heading order (H1, H2, H3). Use the built in style formatting tools in your program.
  • Tables: use a simple table structure with defined header rows. Do not have blank cells in a table. Do not use tables for layout on pages. Add alt text to the table.

PDF Remediation Workflow

  1. Create an accessible document from the start
  2. Apply Accessibility Principles (ALT Text, Heading Structure, etc.)
  3. Run the accessibility checker in program (Microsoft Office)
  4. Convert to a Tagged PDF (Save in a PDF format, not “printing” to a PDF file, select the Tagged PDF box)
  5. Run the PDF Program’s Accessibility Checker (Adobe Acrobat Pro)
  6. Perform an accessibility check
  7. Take note of the items that are flagged as accessibility issues
  8. Go back into your source document to fix the issues that came up
  9. Save the document as a tagged PDF
  10. Perform another accessibility check
  11. If you cannot fix the issues in the source document, then run the PDF through Allyant and fix the issues through the platform.

If Your Department Champion is Unavailable

If you have a document that needs to be uploaded to the website and the designated department champions are unavailable, 

  1. Fill out the Remediation Request Form
  2. Fill out all the information prompted on the form and upload the document.
  3. You will receive an email confirmation that your request was received by the Accessibility Coordinators.
  4. Accessibility Coordinators will then assign a team member and the employee will set up any appropriate follow-up meetings if needed.
  5. The team member will then remediate the PDF to become accessible or upload the document with the appropriate disclaimer on the website.
  6. Once complete, you will receive an email that the request has been completed.

Naming

All document titles should be max 25 characters.

  • Monthly
    1. [Month Year] [Descriptive Title of Document]
    2. Example: June 2022 Strategic Plan
  • Specific Date
    1. [Month Day, Year] [Descriptive Title of Document]
    2. Example: June 10, 2022 Strategic Plan
  • Yearly
    1. [Year] [Descriptive Title of Document]
    2. Example: 2022 Strategic Plan

Deciding What to Delete

The original file needs to be located on our server.

  • Ordinances: 30 days
  • Financial Documents: 2 years
  • Department Based Documents – Department champions will determine expiration dates and how PDF’s will be updated.

Maintenance Plan

Every year, the Website and Digital Accessibility Committee will perform a PDF accessibility audit to ensure that uploaded PDF’s are meeting WCAG 2.1 Level AA criteria. From that audit the Digital Accessibility Coordinator(s) will remediate PDF’s with 10 or more clicks quarterly.

Checklists

Checklist for Content Contributors
  • ALT Text: Add alternative text descriptions to images to help visually impaired users understand the content of the image. The alternative text should be concise, descriptive, and convey the purpose or function of the image.
  • Videos: Provide captions and audio descriptions for videos.
  • Color: Ensure there is sufficient color contrast between text and background.
  • Tables: Ensure that tables on the website are properly marked up with table headings and captions so that they can be navigated using a screen reader.
  • Headings: Use headings to organize content and provide a clear structure to the page. Headings should be used in a logical order (H1, H2, H3, etc.), and should accurately reflect the content they are introducing. Avoid using headings for styling purposes only, and don't skip heading levels (e.g. going from H2 to H4 without using an H3 in between).
  • Language: Use simple language that is easy to read and understand. Avoid using jargon, complex words, or abbreviations that may be confusing to some users.
Checklist for Website Administrators
  • Easy Navigation: Make sure website is easy to navigate and is easy for users to find what they are looking for.
  • Input Modalities (Developer’s Responsibility): Provide options to allow users to bypass repetitive content, such as navigation menus, and go directly to the main content of the page.
  • Readable Content (Developer’s Responsibility): Ensure that the text on the website is easily readable, with a minimum font size of 12pt.
  • Adaptable Content (Developer’s Responsibility): Ensure that the website can be navigated using only a keyboard and that all functionality can be accessed through a keyboard.
  • Compatible with assistive technologies (Developer’s Responsibility): Ensure that the website can be used with a range of assistive technologies, such as screen readers, magnifiers and speech recognition software.
Social Media Checklist
  • Language: Use simple language that is easy to read and understand. Avoid using jargon, complex words, or abbreviations that may be confusing to some users.
  • ALT Text: Alt text describes the content of an image to users who may not be able to see the image. Each social media platform has the capability to add ALT text to images.
  • Color: Ensure that images have enough contrast between the background and foreground colors to make it easy to read. WCAG 2.1 recommends a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
  • Video: Captioning videos makes the content accessible to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Automated captions are not always accurate, so it is recommended to review and edit them for accuracy.
Graphic Design Checklist
  • Color: Ensure that there is sufficient contrast between the text and the background to make it easy to read. WCAG recommends a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Avoid using color alone to convey meaning. Do not use color alone to convey information or meaning, as some users may not be able to perceive color. Use other visual cues such as icons, text, or patterns to communicate the intended message.
  • ALT Text: Add alternative text descriptions to images to help visually impaired users understand the content of the image. The alternative text should be concise, descriptive, and convey the purpose or function of the image.
  • Headings: Use headings to organize content and provide a clear structure to the page. Headings should be used in a logical order (H1, H2, H3, etc.), and should accurately reflect the content they are introducing. Avoid using headings for styling purposes only, and don't skip heading levels (e.g. going from H2 to H4 without using an H3 in between).
  • Tables: Ensure that tables on the website are properly marked up with table headings and captions so that they can be navigated using a screen reader.
  • Form Field Labels: Ensure that form fields are properly labeled and associated with their respective labels.
  • Fonts: Use standard sans-serif fonts for body text. Ornate fonts are hard to read.
Video Checklist
  • Captions: Captioning videos makes the content accessible to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Automated captions are not always accurate, so it is recommended to review and edit them for accuracy.
  • Audio Descriptions: Provide audio descriptions for all visual content that is important to understanding the video. Ensure that the audio descriptions accurately convey the visual content. Ensure that the audio descriptions are synchronized with the video content.
  • Transcripts: Provide an alternative means of accessing the video content for users who cannot view the video, such as a text-based summary.
  • Flashing: Ensure that the video does not contain flashing or rapidly changing content that could cause seizures or other health issues.
  • Colors: Ensure that the video content does not rely solely on color to convey information.
  • Navigation: Provide a way for users to navigate to different sections of the video, such as chapters or bookmarks.
Additional Resources
  • Color Contrast Checker: Check the contrast between different color combinations against WCAG standards.
  • Colorado Relay (includes Spanish services) 711 or 800-337-3242: Relay Colorado is a public service that enables people with hearing or speech loss who use a teletypewriter (TTY) or other assistive device to communicate with standard telephone users.
  • Rural Auxiliary Services (RAS): Provides sign language interpreting and captioning (Communication Access Realtime Translation, or CART) services.