How your local government can ensure compliance with U.S. accessibility requirements
Morgan Rivers is an active member of the Brookhaven City community. Blind from birth, he keeps up with local current events, especially those that impact people with disabilities.
A friend told Rivers the city was considering eliminating some bus routes to their neighborhood, which would harm those who weren’t able to drive and relied on the bus lines for transportation.
Rivers looked for information on the city’s website. Unfortunately, the online meeting materials and agenda formats were not compatible with his screen reader. The online form to submit comments was also inaccessible, requiring a CAPTCHA he couldn’t solve without visual input.
He complained to his case worker, who filed a complaint. The city’s website was found to be out of compliance with federal accessibility regulations.
Why local government accessibility matters
Just like Morgan Rivers, more than one in four adults in the U.S. (28%) live with some type of disability, according to a 2024 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. Many have disabilities that make it difficult for them to access online information.
Local governments must make sure that all members of the public have access to its online information. Without it, people with disabilities are blocked from the vital information they need to live in their community. According to NetGuru, 71% of people with disabilities immediately abandon websites presenting accessibility barriers.
Lack of access prevents residents with disabilities from receiving the same services as their able-bodied peers. In the case of Morgan Rivers, people with disabilities are prevented from participating in local decision-making. Local governments have an ethical obligation to make their information available to all members of the public.
They also have a legal obligation. Federal accessibility laws mandate certain accessibility standards that ensure that governments provide web content that every citizen can easily navigate and understand.
Facilitate greater inclusion
For advice on how local governments can facilitate greater inclusion and access, download our guide.
Get the checklistWhat do accessibility laws and compliance mean in the U.S.?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990, requires all government entities to provide equal opportunities and prohibit discrimination in employment, government services, public accommodations, facilities and transportation, While the law was enacting before the modern day internet, it is generally understood and accepted that website accessibility is covered by ADA.
When the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was reauthorized in 1998, it included Section 508, which applies specifically to eliminating technology barriers for people with disabilities. The law mandates that federal agencies ensure their electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities and extends to organizations that receive federal grant funding or do business with the federal government.
Section 508 applies to all federal government websites and the sites of any organizations that do business with the federal government, or that accepts federal funds. Unlike ADA, Section 508 contains clear accessibility standards. Most local governments meet this criterion, and they’re legally required to comply with Section 508.
What are accessibility requirements for U.S. local governments websites?
Local governments can turn to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which provides technical advice on how to comply with ADA and Section 508. Published by the World Wide Web Consortium, WCAG is a set of guidelines designed to make digital content, including webpages, electronic documents and mobile and web applications, more accessible to people with disabilities.
The guidelines list four basic principles that apply to people with disabilities that enable them to access local government websites.
1. Website content must be perceivable
Local governments must add content to their websites and present interface components so readers are able to perceive the content. In other words, the content can’t be invisible to individuals with disabilities. Anyone viewing the site should be able to be aware that the content exists.
2. Website content must be operable
All members of the public should be able to navigate the various parts of the website. A disability-friendly website will help them find the information they’re looking for quickly and enable them to interact with it without undue problems.
3. Website content must be understandable
Accessibility and compliance for local governments require government websites to ensure that disabled individuals comprehend the information on the website. The content must be presented in an understandable way, and it should allow disabled individuals to interact with the content similar to non-disabled citizens.
4. Website content must be robust
The final standard is about creating robust web content. This means that the content on local government websites must be such that a wide variety of citizens can reliably interpret the content. Robust content refers to adding software programs that provide assistive technologies. The law also requires local governments to maintain their websites so they remain accessible as technologies advance.
How Diligent Community helps local governments comply with ADA accessibility requirements
Diligent Community offers several features that assist local government organizations in meeting ADA and Section 508 requirements. Here are the key features that help comply and ensure accessibility for citizens:
- Diligent Community provides an accessible, ADA-compliant public transparency site. This feature allows access to essential documents such as meeting agendas, policies and supporting materials, thereby ensuring compliance with open meeting laws and ADA accessibility standards.
- The platform supports livestreaming of public meetings, making them accessible to a wider audience. Recordings can be made available afterward, alongside timestamped minutes for easy navigation. Livestreaming includes a closed caption feature for hearing-impaired attendees.
- Features like automatic notifications keep community members informed about upcoming meetings and updates. This aids in ensuring that all citizens, regardless of ability, can participate in local governance.
- Users can easily search through documents with keyword functionality and submit requests to speak at meetings online, which enhances participation and compliance with transparency requirements.
- AI Meeting Minutes and templates: Diligent Community tools capture meeting minutes swiftly and accurately based on livestream transcripts, ensuring that all discussions and decisions are documented and accessible.
Request a demo to find out how Diligent Community can help local governments ensure that residents with disabilities have access to essential government services and information.
