Leaders in public education and local government should make accessibility an item on their board agenda for many reasons: legislation like the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), the fines and reputational damage that result from noncompliance and their overall mission.

Public-sector organizations by definition exist to serve the public, meaning people with and without disabilities alike. Making digital materials, meeting livestreams and public websites accessible to all, while reducing barriers to these resources, is an ethical obligation, and essential to building community engagement and trust.

More broadly, when all members of the community have full 

 in programs and services, everyone benefits. Local governments see stronger civic engagement and public schools greater student success.

Setting an example with consistent, codified standards

Across North America, mandates and standards at the federal and state/provincial levels define what accessibility means and give these expectations teeth. Noncompliance risks costly fines and violations, along with reputational damage and weakened community trust.

But strong accessibility governance yields multiple benefits beyond compliance.

When accessibility efforts align to an official standard, the governance team knows it is bringing established best practices to their organization. Within the board, this means consistently delivering access to resources like meeting minutes, training materials and procurement guidelines. And boards who are familiar with these regulatory requirements are well-equipped to set accessibility policies for their broader organizations.

To help publicly elected boards develop strong, up-to-date policies for accessibility, we’ve rounded up regulatory developments into a user-friendly guide.

A detailed overview of laws and frameworks to know, plus agencies and issues to watch, in the regulatory landscape

Tips and guidance on accessibility governance and administration, from peers grappling with the same decisions

How Diligent Community can help you meet accessibility requirements

The regulatory landscape: Accessibility in local government and public education

Accessibility laws cover a wide-ranging and ever-expanding array of areas, from color contrast in PDFs to audio controls for recordings and video.

When navigating governance for your school or municipal organization, we recommend consulting with your legal team and doing in-depth research on specific agencies, laws and issues. But this high-level overview is a powerful start to understanding regulations that cover accessibility.

Accessibility guidelines for public sector entities are grounded in 

, founded in 1973 to prohibit disability-based discrimination in programs funded by the Department of Education, and the 1990 

Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Section 508

The ADA’s 1998 reauthorization keeps these regulations up with change by addressing technological barriers. The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) also considers 

technology accessibility and digital content

 an important part of its accessibility guidelines.

As technology has evolved, with more and more public services provided through websites and apps, so have these mandates. Key among them is 

, enacted by the DOJ in 2024. Title II applies the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), 

, to websites, Word documents, PDFs, apps, social media posts, broadcasts, recordings and more:

A few of these comprehensive requirements include:

Descriptive identifications (e.g. alt text) for photos, graphics and other images

Captions for live audio content and audio descriptions for pre-recorded video

Inclusive use of language, text style and size, color and contrast

Accessible headings, prompts, audio controls and navigation

It’s important to remember that these new standards apply to all of your public content, both what you provide yourselves and the third-party content you make available. For instance:

Does your city work with a private company’s payment app for public parking?

Do online student programs and services include third-party content?

Are the board meeting minutes and agendas published on your website “up to code”?

Unless these situations specifically fall within 

, your leadership is responsible for making sure they meet WCAG 2.1AA accessibility standards.

Just as vital for public sector leaders to know: the 

. Entities serving 50,000-plus people must be in WCAG 2.1AA compliance by 

. Special district entities and those serving smaller communities have a bit longer, until 

Heightened enforcement strengthens the case for escalating accessibility on the board agenda.

 article explored increased Title II enforcement by the DOJ and noted that “an emerging area of law is whether places of public accommodation can include virtual spaces.”

When the OCR assessed the online programs of 

 in Michigan, it called out important images that lacked alt text and PDF documents that were incompatible with screen readers

 in Sacramento, California, revealed similar deficiencies, along with insufficient color contrast and content access issues related to computer keyboards and navigation

North Carolina Department of Adult Correction

 must provide inmates with hearing disabilities video telephones, visual notification systems and other tools for equal access to services and activities.

Many states incorporate federal ADA and WCAG standards into their own guidelines and augment them with their own laws and frameworks, including 

 has state legislation related to nonvisual standards and access.

 requires state agencies to post certifications of compliance.

Entities violating accessibility laws in 

 can be ordered by the court to fix the accessibility issues and pay a fine of either $3,500 per violation or actual monetary damages.

 aims to “make Canada barrier-free by 2040.” Applying to organizations “under federal responsibility,” its sweeping provisions include information and communication technologies and the design and delivery of programs and services.

 include accessibility plans that are updated every three years in consultation with people with disabilities, with feedback processes and progress reports.

 undergo review and finalization, organizations are encouraged to follow WCAG 2.0 guidelines and the Harmonized European Standard.

Accessibility legislation at the provincial level is 

, as disability advocate Carly Fox details in her blog. Quebec has been a leader in disability-specific legislation for over 25 years, Alberta has embedded accessibility considerations into its National Building Code, and eight of the 10 provinces, from British Columbia to Nova Scotia, have acts of their own, with varying purviews and degrees of penalties.

Resources have emerged for applying these guidelines to digital content and in an educational setting. A few include 

Practical tips for accessibility compliance

1. Make sure the governance team and board are up to speed by researching relevant laws and regulations. These should include any accessibility-related stipulations for grant funding. Store these resources in the document library of your board management software to make them easily accessible for onboarding and other training requirements.

2. Apply this research to your organization:

Start with your board and the areas where public accessibility is mandated, such as minutes, agendas, meetings and recordings.

Identify activities across the organization where inclusive access is particularly critical. In public education, this could include admissions, enrollment, payments and learning materials.

Consider the possible repercussions of noncompliance, including fines, investigation litigation and settlements, along with diminished community participation and trust

3. Evaluate how your apps, livestreams and other digital content currently measure up. This could include auditing your website against 

, are all members of the public able to navigate it?

, so people with disabilities can interact with it in the same way as those without disabilities?

, with software programs that accommodate assistive technologies?

4. Work with relevant departments (legal, risk management, IT) to oversee the development - and implementation - of an accessibility plan. This plan should include:

Critical deadlines, like those for Title II/WCAG 2.1AA compliance

5. Hold partners to the same standards. Incorporate ADA and WCAG requirements into vendor contracts and procurement processes.

6. Develop processes and policies for compliance oversight - and revisit them regularly as the regulations evolve.

7. Keep your community informed throughout. One way to do so is a public accessibility statement published on your website that:

Clearly explains how your organization is meeting WCAG and other standards

Includes contact information for feedback

“By livestreaming and recording meetings and ensuring agendas and minutes meet accessibility requirements, providing the ability to search meeting agendas, minutes and policy documents online, and enabling constituents to easily subscribe to meeting notifications and updates, boards can build trust with the public and improve transparency.” - Ellen Glasgow, General Manager, Mission-Driven Organizations, Diligent

Diligent Community: inclusive access, today and tomorrow

Across public-facing web pages, agendas, minutes and livestreaming features, Diligent Community meets accessibility requirements fully, including WCAG 2.1AA and ADA requirements, and is moving toward WCAG 2.2AA compliance.

Features that support inclusive access for all board members and community stakeholders include:

An accessible, ADA-compliant public transparency site

, connecting community members to essential documents such as meeting agendas, policies and supporting materials in compliance with U.S. open meeting laws

 that are compatible with assistive technologies

High-contrast color schemes and scalable text 

Keyboard operability and optimized navigation 

that makes public meetings accessible to a wider audience. Recordings can be made available afterward, alongside timestamped minutes for easy navigation.

 that keep community members informed about upcoming meetings and updates

AI-supported meeting minutes and templates,

 using livestream transcripts to ensure that all discussions and decisions related to information and service accessibility are quickly and accurately captured, documented and readily available

Regular audits and VPAT documentation strengthen compliance confidence, assuring public sector leaders of conformance with federal and state accessibility standards.

“We have been able to increase the accessibility of information and increase the amount of engagement from all of our stakeholders. It [Diligent Community] allows us to very clearly open the doors to how we are making decisions. We have a single pane of glass for families and community members to follow along and engage during board meetings.” - R.J. Gravel, Deputy Superintendent of Glenbrook High School District 225

Accessibility leadership and confidence await

Diligent Community can keep your public sector board on top of accessibility expectations, ahead of technological and regulatory change and on the path to stronger governance

Accessibility regulations: what publicly elected boards need to know

 hasn’t stood still. The FRC has spent the past few years consulting on reforms, then refining them into the more focused 2024 update, which has been in effect throughout 2025. The next milestone arrives on 1 January 2026, when boards will need to make a declaration on the effectiveness of material controls under Provision 29.

 isn’t the main character of this story, but it does set the backdrop. It raises expectations around evidence, clarity and consistency, and it’s already prompting organisations to revisit how their 

 operate day to day. That makes this a good moment to take stock, not only of what compliance requires, but what stronger controls can do for the business.

Because when you strip everything back, the case for investing in better controls is simple: 

they reduce risk, improve decision-making and build trust. 

And in many organisations, they also cut cost.

Here’s how to build that case in a way that resonates with stakeholders across the business.

Start with the outcomes different stakeholders care about

A single controls programme can deliver very different benefits depending on who you speak to. The strongest business cases reflect this.


Executives want confidence that the information they rely on is accurate and that risk conversations are grounded. Stronger controls support cleaner forecasting, fewer surprises and more certainty during planning cycles.


Investors increasingly expect disclosures that are specific and evidence-based. With the new Code requiring more transparency on control effectiveness from 2026, investors will be looking for clarity, not boilerplate. Strong controls reinforce trust.


The new declaration covers more than financial controls. When ESG, health and safety and ethical practices sit within a clear control framework, customers feel more confident that the organisation delivers on its commitments.


People want to know they’re part of a well-run organisation. Clear controls help build a culture of accountability and reduce frustration in process-heavy areas.

 That might be a recurring operational error, slow remediation cycles or issues in ESG reporting. These hotspots help you show the business where controls improvements make an immediate difference.

Where automation helps (and where it doesn’t)

Automation is becoming an essential part of how organisations 

 It reduces manual checks, lowers error rates and provides more consistent evidence throughout the year. This is useful for the new Code’s expectations but is even more useful for everyday business.

But automation isn’t a magic wand. It works best when the underlying process is clear. If a process already causes confusion or rework, automating it only amplifies the problem. 

A better approach is to start with a pilot:

Focusing on the first line is key. People closest to the process can tell you what needs improving and what information they need to work more effectively. When automation helps them, evidence quality improves without extra effort.

Build a roadmap that avoids common blockers

Internal controls touch multiple teams and systems,

 and sometimes third parties too. Without a structured plan, programmes lose momentum quickly.

A roadmap with four early decisions makes all the difference:


Agree what counts as a material control. This should reflect risks, regulatory duties and anything that could affect key reporting. Provision 29 specifically requires boards to cover financial, operational, reporting and compliance controls.


Set expectations for what “good evidence” looks like. This includes testing frequency, documentation standards, thresholds for exceptions and how remediation is tracked.


Clarify how first, second and third line work together. Assurance should be coordinated rather than duplicated, especially as organisations prepare for the more structured disclosure requirements in 2026.


Align data, systems, processes and owners. Third-party providers need to be included early where they support key controls.

Most delays come from not agreeing these points upfront. Once the basics are settled, teams can focus on testing, fixing gaps and building confidence in the framework.

Start early, focus on value and support people through change

Although the declaration applies to 2026 year ends, organisations need a full year’s worth of monitoring and evidence behind it. Starting now means fewer surprises and more time to test, remediate and refine.

Different stakeholders move at different speeds. Some need more context, others want reassurance that the work will help them, not add to their workload. Tailoring the message to each group helps maintain momentum.

The lesson I see again and again is simple:

 Keep the needs of first-line managers front and centre.

When ownership is clear and processes run smoothly, the evidence is stronger, the board can form its view with confidence and the whole organisation benefits from fewer operational issues.

Strengthening internal controls is not only about meeting the Code. It’s about creating a clearer, more predictable and more resilient business.

If you’re building your approach for 2026:

 offers a simpler way to coordinate testing, evidence and remediation, so your controls framework stays clear and consistent throughout the year.

Maximising ROI: The business case for improving internal controls

This article originally appeared in our December 18th edition of the Diligent Minute Newsletter. For more insights like these, delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe 

As we close out 2025, I’ve been reflecting on what this year taught us and the word that comes to mind is “unprecedented.” Insights from the Diligent Institute’s research show how directors navigated multiple unprecedented challenges – often simultaneously – while also driving major change. The lessons we learned this year aren’t just a look back. They can be a compass pointing to the directional shifts boards will need to embrace as governance moves into a faster, more AI-enabled era.

Five governance shifts boards must prepare for in 2026

What will change: Boards will move beyond passive reporting and lean into more 

 Predictive analytics and scenario planning will become part of everyday conversations, helping directors navigate volatility before it hits.


Why? Director confidence hit historic lows in 2025. Our 

 conducted in partnership with Corporate Board Member, landed at just 4.8 out of 10, among the lowest since the pandemic. That’s a wake-up call for faster, smarter decision-making. If you’re curious whether sentiment is shifting, our Q4 results will be live by the time this issue hits your inbox. Check them out to see if optimism is making a comeback.

What will change: Dashboards won’t just summarize risks. They’ll surface them within hours, and crisis protocols will kick in during the first 72. AI-powered assurance will scan massive datasets to catch anomalies as they happen, and directors will be able to ask complex questions in plain language and get instant answers. Oversight will move from reacting after the fact to staying ahead of the curve, a fundamental change in risk management.

 7.9 out of 10. Quarterly updates aren’t enough anymore. Boards need early-warning systems and integrated intelligence to keep pace.

3) AI governance moves to the top of the agenda

What will change: Agentic AI is moving fast, from assisting to acting. Boards will need to build AI literacy, test for bias and keep humans in the loop to manage less visible risks.

Why: Two-thirds of directors used AI tools in 2025, but 

, 57% of respondents said their organizations had deployed AI in one or more areas of the business, but only 36% had audited usage.As AI deployment climbs higher on the priority list for 2026, closing this governance gap is critical.

4) Integration becomes a growth essential

What will change: M&A ambitions will stall without tech integration. Boards that prioritize scalable platforms will unlock faster, cleaner transactions and reduce risk during rapid growth periods as integration readiness becomes a board-level KPI.

 conducted in partnership with Wilson Sonsini and NetSuite, found only 4% of organizations had fully integrated GRC and financial systems.

What will change: Board agendas will shift toward forward-looking conversations powered by predictive analytics and cultural insights. Directors will widen their lens beyond financials to include culture and workforce resilience, using anonymized data to spot risks before they surface.

Why: The ability to anticipate, not just react, will define effective governance in 2026. Boards that lean on AI-driven scenario modeling and continuous feedback loops will stay aligned with fast-changing realities.

Turning 2025 board lessons into a 2026 action plan

2026 will reward boards that act, not just react. That means pairing human judgment with AI-driven foresight, embedding continuous assurance and integrating systems for scalability. Governance is moving from static to dynamic – and the boards that thrive will be ready to keep pace.

Check out the full blog on trends shaping governance in 2026.

From risk to strategy: The governance agenda for 2026 

Boardroom confidence surges in final quarter despite tepid 2026 expectations 

After three quarters at a five-year low, director confidence jumped 23 percent in December—yet the outlook for 2026 remains muted. One director's advice: 'Defend and survive.'

America's corporate directors ended 2025 on an unexpectedly optimistic note.

After languishing at a five-year low for three consecutive quarters, the Director Confidence Index—a quarterly poll conducted by Corporate Board Member and Diligent Institute among U.S. public company board members on their sentiment for business—surged 23 percent in December, climbing from 4.9 out of 10 to 6.0 and finally breaking into "Good" territory. 

A better understanding of how tariffs are impacting businesses and the economy, lower interest rates and increased CapEx spending are the most common factors directors shared to explain this rebound. 

“[There’s] an expectation that companies will be able to work through any tariff impacts without significantly raising prices,” explained one director participating in the poll.

It's a remarkable turnaround for a year that tested boardroom resolve. 

Yet even with the late rally, 2025's average confidence level landed at just 5 out of 10—well below 2024's 6.2 average and significantly short of the 6.9 that directors had predicted this time last year.

The 105 directors surveyed December 6-11 overwhelmingly point to one issue that slowed down business this year: tariffs. 

Three quarters cited it as a top contributor to lower-than-expected business conditions, well ahead of any other factor, noting that standard playbooks don’t work when the environment keeps changing.

“No matter how much you try to prepare for the unexpected, you can never truly assess all outcomes,” said one director on the board of a publicly traded tech company. “We did not see the substantial impact the ever-changing tariff environment (much of which was likely unconstitutional) would have on our customers CapEx spending plans.”

“I have never experienced what we are seeing in our industry in my 30+ years,” said one director at a Nasdaq-traded life sciences company. “Pharma/biotech has always been recession-proof and has not been impacted by which party was in power at the time.”

Despite December's surge, directors aren't banking on momentum carrying into the new year. Their forecast for business conditions by this time in 2026 sits at 6.0—essentially flat from today's level.

This is an interesting delta when compared to CEO sentiment. When polled by sister publication Chief Executive the first week of December, 

CEOs said they forecast conditions will improve by

 in 2026, to land at 6.4 out of 10 next December.

Overall, 44 percent of CEOs are optimistic that conditions will improve, vs. 32 percent of board members.

Among those directors who are optimistic, we observe a strong AI focus in their responses, far outpacing macro fears that are atop the list of concerns among directors who expect conditions to deteriorate in 2026. As for those neutral directors, the uncertainty they expect to continue in the year ahead rivals inflation as a key theme.

To navigate 2026 successfully, directors are prioritizing adaptability, deeper engagement and faster learning, recognizing that compounding risks demand boards connect dots more quickly than ever. "Work hard and smart, keep expenses tight, and survive until a rebound comes around," advised one director.

“Defend and survive,” concluded another.

The Director Confidence Index five years later

To mark our fifth year of running the Director Confidence Index, we asked respondents this quarter to reflect on how their roles had shifted since we first fielded this survey at the end of 2020. Directors say they are spending far more time on risk in a “more complex and faster‑moving” environment—cybersecurity, AI, geopolitical shocks, supply‑chain integrity and policy volatility are now routine board agenda items, not edge cases. 

Many describe a shift from “managing the present” to “understanding and planning for the future,” with scenario planning and strategic resilience now core to the role. Several also point to rising scrutiny from activists and a broader investor base, which has widened the mandate from overseeing financial performance to stewarding culture, human capital and corporate character.

Directors repeatedly flag the steep learning curve this entails. In their open‑ended comments, they emphasize the need to be more tech‑savvy on AI and cyber, more fluent in geopolitics and regulation, and more intentional about ongoing education just to remain effective in the boardroom. Committees are “very busy,” topics are broader, and some directors note a clear move away from informal business development toward disciplined governance, succession planning and risk oversight. 

While a minority insist the formal role has not changed, the weight of the written responses is unmistakable: being a director today is more time‑intensive, strategically demanding and consequential than it was in 2020, and possibly than it has ever been. 

Diligent

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