ADA compliance for city and government websites

In today’s digital age, websites have become a vital channel for governments and civic entities to connect with their citizens. However, accessibility remains a significant concern, as individuals with disabilities often face barriers when accessing online information and services. To address this issue, it is crucial for all websites, particularly those of civic and government entities, to comply with accessibility standards such as ADA, WCAG 2.1, Section 508, and EAA/EN 301549. While enforcement and understanding of these standards have historically been confusing and unclear, recent advancements have made compliance simpler and more effective.

The importance of accessibility for civic and government websites

Accessibility goes beyond mere compliance; it is about inclusivity and equal access to information and services for all individuals, regardless of their disabilities. Civic and government websites serve as vital platforms for disseminating essential information, facilitating engagement, and providing access to crucial services. By ensuring these websites are ADA compliant, governments can better serve their citizens and foster a sense of inclusion and equality.

Historical Challenges

While the need for accessibility has long been recognized, there has been a gray area surrounding enforcement and understanding of specific accessibility standards. This ambiguity has often led to confusion and inconsistency in website compliance efforts. However, for civic entities, the importance of compliance has always been emphasized due to their role in serving the public. Despite the challenges, progress has been made, and organizations are now seeking effective solutions to achieve accessibility without compromising design and user experience.

The Solution

CivicBrand offers our clients a powerful solution to the challenges of website accessibility. It utilizes artificial intelligence to handle accessibility compliance in real time. This advanced technology automates many aspects of accessibility, making it simpler and more efficient for civic and government entities to achieve compliance. By integrating this solution into websites, organizations can ensure that their content is accessible to individuals with disabilities without sacrificing the overall design and user experience.

1. Real-Time Compliance: AAI technology continuously scans and optimizes websites for accessibility, ensuring compliance with ADA, WCAG 2.1, Section 508, and EAA/EN 301549 standards. This real-time monitoring provides peace of mind to civic entities, knowing that their websites are accessible at all times.
2. Enhanced User Experience: Doesn’t compromise on design or user experience. It employs an overlay interface that allows users to customize the website’s display to suit their individual needs, such as adjusting text size, color contrast, or enabling screen reader compatibility.
3. Time and Cost Savings: Traditional methods of achieving accessibility compliance often require extensive manual effort and ongoing maintenance. This automated approach significantly reduces the time and resources needed to achieve and maintain compliance, saving organizations valuable time and budget.
4. Legal Protection: With increasing awareness and advocacy for digital accessibility, the risk of legal action due to non-compliance is a concern for civic entities. By being proactive, organizations can mitigate this risk and demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity.

Disability profiles supported

Epilepsy Safe Profile: this profile enables people with epilepsy to safely use the website by eliminating the risk of seizures resulting from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.

Vision Impaired Profile: this profile adjusts the website so that it is accessible to the majority of visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.

Cognitive Disability Profile: this profile provides various assistive features to help users with cognitive disabilities such as Autism, Dyslexia, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements more easily.

ADHD Friendly Profile: this profile significantly reduces distractions and noise to help people with ADHD, and Neurodevelopmental disorders browse, read, and focus on the essential elements more easily.

Blind Users Profile (Screen-readers): this profile adjusts the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is installed on the blind user’s computer, and this site is compatible with it.

Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

Going Beyond Legal Requirements

For us at CivicBrand this isn’t just about meeting the minimum legal requirements. Accessibility is a fundamental value for us at CivicBrand. We strive to ensure that everyone can engage with our digital platforms, content, and services, regardless of their unique needs or disabilities. Our commitment to accessibility is rooted in the belief that equal access to information and opportunities is essential for building thriving communities. We believe many of our clients and the communities that we work with feel the exact same way and that commitment is part of their brand. Therefore utilizing these technologies isn’t just about meeting legal requirements but about truly living your brand principles. You can read more about our belief on this topic by reading our full Accessibility Statement.

If you’re interesteding learning more about how CivicBrand can help make your websites more accessible and compliant don’t hesitate to reach out!