Website Accessibility Resource Center

Between federal ADA requirements, state open meetings acts, state-specific transparency laws, WCAG standards, and the recent Department of Justice (DOJ) ruling, special districts nationwide face growing pressure to make their websites more transparent, accessible, and legally compliant. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. But there’s good news: compliance is entirely achievable—and we’re here to guide you every step of the way. In our recent webinar, we broke down what these requirements mean at both the federal and state levels, how to build a realistic compliance roadmap, and what tools and protections Streamline customers can access to stay ahead of the curve. Key Federal and State Requirements Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) The ADA requires public entities—including special districts—to ensure their digital content is accessible to people with disabilities. The recent DOJ ruling formally extended these obligations to special districts nationwide. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) WCAG 2.1 AA is the de facto global standard for web accessibility. Many states now reference WCAG directly in their statutes or regulations. Open Meetings and Transparency Laws Every state has its own version of an open meetings act (e.g., Florida’s Sunshine Law, Texas Open Meetings Act) and public records or transparency statutes (e.g., Illinois Freedom of Information Act). These laws mandate timely posting of agendas, minutes, budgets, and other public materials. State-Level Accessibility Mandates Beyond federal requirements, several states have passed laws or executive orders explicitly requiring accessibility certifications or imposing penalties for non-compliance. Examples include Washington’s digital accessibility policy and New York’s IT Accessibility Policy. Vendor Accountability As liability shifts, many states are considering or have enacted provisions holding website vendors responsible for accessibility defects. Ensuring clear contracts and remediation clauses with vendors is critical. Why Compliance Is No Longer Optional Between the DOJ’s recent national accessibility ruling and the patchwork of state laws targeting transparency and digital inclusion, the risk of complaints, fines, and reputational damage has never been higher. At the same time, an accessible, transparent website fosters trust and engagement with your community. Compliance isn’t just about avoiding enforcement—it’s about delivering better public service. 10 Actions to Achieve (and Maintain) Website Compliance 1. Designate an Accessibility Contact Appoint a staff member or team to receive and respond to accessibility requests. List their contact details prominently (e.g., a dedicated email) so users know exactly where to go. 2. Publish an Accessibility Statement Create a concise statement of commitment that outlines your accessibility goals, provides your coordinator’s contact info, and explains your remediation process. Avoid posting raw scan reports, which can highlight errors you’ve yet to fix. 3. Create a Central Accessibility Resource Page Link to policies, request processes, and helpful guides in a single, easy-to-find page—ideally in your site footer. This ensures consistent access across every state-mandated site. 4. Define a Formal Request Process Just as you handle public records requests, establish clear timelines and workflows for ADA-related inquiries. Training staff on these procedures will ensure timely responses and reduce risk. 5. Caption and Transcribe All Video Content From board meeting recordings to public service announcements, every video should include accurate captions and transcripts. Built-in platform tools can help, but always review for quality. 6. Schedule Regular Automated Scans Use tools like Lighthouse or WAVE on a monthly basis to detect accessibility issues. Automating scans keeps you ahead of small problems before they become big ones. 7. Prioritize Common Fixes Tackle low-hanging fruit first: missing image alt text, insufficient color contrast, and improper heading structure. Fixing these regularly will greatly improve your overall score. 8. Remediate Documents Strategically Most states require PDFs and other records to be accessible. Start with high-traffic items—agendas, budgets, policies—and work backward. A phased approach prevents overwhelm. 9. Audit Third-Party Integrations GIS maps, calendars, external forms, and other embedded tools often slip through the cracks. Verify their accessibility or provide alternative pathways (e.g., direct phone lines, downloadable data). 10. Enforce Vendor Remediation Clauses Review your contracts to ensure vendors are contractually obligated to fix any compliance gaps. As more states hold vendors accountable, clear remediation timelines and indemnification clauses are essential. How Streamline Can Help Streamline customers have access to a suite of features designed for easy, ongoing compliance: Accessibility Dashboard View monthly scores, trending issues, and historical progress at a glance. Automated Monthly Scans & Reports Receive email alerts and downloadable PDFs highlighting new and recurring issues. Legal Indemnity Up to $50,000 in coverage for verified ADA-related claims (terms apply). On-Demand Document Remediation Professionally remediated PDFs starting at just $7 per page. Dedicated Support Line A team of experts to handle accessibility requests on your behalf. As one accessibility expert noted in our webinar, few public agencies have kept pace—but those that do see measurable improvements in community engagement and reduced legal risk. Final Thoughts Whether your district is on Streamline, WordPress, Squarespace, or another platform, the journey to compliance begins with awareness and a clear plan. It’s not about perfection—it’s about consistent progress, transparency, and serving every member of your community. Want a ready-made checklist, sample policies, or personalized guidance? Explore our Accessibility Resource Page for everything you need to get started. Ready to learn more about how your district can stay compliant and confident? Reach out here!

Website accessibility is no longer just a best practice—it’s a legal requirement. Many special districts are finding themselves caught in unexpected and costly ADA compliance lawsuits. While website accessibility tools and widgets promise easy solutions, they often fall short, leaving districts vulnerable to legal challenges. Mac Clemmens, CEO of Streamline, has been actively involved in helping special districts navigate these challenges. Recently, he shared a real-world example of how one district faced an ADA lawsuit over a non-compliant website they were in the process of transitioning. They had invested in an accessibility widget, assuming they were covered, only to find that it failed to meet legal standards. With the help of expert legal counsel, they were able to reduce their settlement from $17,500 (originally demanded) to $5,000 to $2,500—but this case highlights an important lesson: automated accessibility solutions are not enough to mitigate risk. Mac also noted another case in which a request for accommodation escalated into a full legal complaint involving not just the district, but the county and a related government agency. Because the district acted quickly and had a structured compliance process in place, they avoided paying any legal fees.

The Department of Justice has issued new website accessibility guidelines that will significantly impact special districts nationwide. Here are the 5 biggest takeaways:

By the end of 2023, more than 10% of districts were affected by a website ADA claim. This rapid increase is startling, and we want to help you stay informed and prepared for any risks facing special districts.

So, you’ve tested your site for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, and while you’re well on your way, you still have some areas of your site that aren’t quite up to modern standards. Perhaps some of those supporting board materials from third parties are wrecking your score and keeping you up at night, or your website developer is taking forever to fix those items identified in your last monthly scan…

California legislators are pushing for additional transparency requirements for local government agencies. Their latest bid, Senate Bill 931, will require our districts to provide a copy of the full agenda packet via mail or email to anyone who requests it. Sounds like a great idea on the surface, doesn’t it? Of course, we agree that the public has the right to know what their elected officials are doing when it comes to official district business, but there are numerous problems with this proposed bill.

Creating websites that are accessible to visitors with disabilities can be challenging, especially for developers building one-off / standalone sites. Most websites that were built even a year ago are likely not accessible, and many of the content management systems out there aren't accessible out-of-the-box, so to speak. If your website partner wasn't specifically told to build your website in an accessible way, it's likely that your site may have a few issues. Accessible websites aren't easy to build! If you're wondering if your site is accessible, you can get an idea by using an automated scanner. Automated testing won't catch every potential issue, but it will check the basics (and the most obvious), giving you an overall idea of how you're doing. (If you need 100% comprehensive testing, have it done by professionals using assistive devices.) So how do you test your site yourself?

There are a few formatting requirements that apply to local government agencies in California: Section 508 (for visitors with disabilities); AB 169 guidelines for anything considered “open data;” and AB 2257, which governs formatting and posting requirements for any agency’s main governing body’s agenda. In this article we’ll touch on the first two; to learn more about AB 2257 and home page agenda posting, check out this related article.