Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Effective Date: April 1, 2026
Last Updated: May 12, 2026

Our Commitment

Town Web designs and builds websites for municipalities. We are committed to building a platform that supports accessibility for all users, including individuals with disabilities.

We target conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA in the design and development of our platform. This is the technical standard adopted by the U.S. Department of Justice for state and local government web content and mobile app accessibility under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (28 CFR Part 35, as amended).

What Town Web Is Responsible For

Town Web is responsible for the accessibility of the platform components that Town Web designs, develops, and maintains for its customers. This includes the themes, templates, navigation, menus, and interactive components that make up the structural framework of a Town Web website. Town Web designs and develops these platform components to support WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance and, when Town Web identifies accessibility issues in platform code, works to remediate those issues and deploy updates to affected sites.

Themes and templates

The themes, page templates, navigation, menus, and interactive components that make up the structural framework of a Town Web website. We design and develop these to target WCAG 2.1 AA conformance. When we identify accessibility issues in our platform code, we fix them and push updates to all affected sites.

Content editing tools

The tools and interfaces our customers use to create and manage their website content. We build these tools to support accessible content creation. For example, our editor includes fields for image alt text and provides heading structure options.

Accessibility scanning

Town Web provides a built-in accessibility scanner within the customer dashboard. This scanner checks pages and documents for accessibility issues and reports findings to the site administrator. The scanner evaluates against WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria. It also identifies additional opportunities based on WCAG 2.2 criteria, which are reported as recommendations to help municipalities prepare for potential future changes to federal requirements.

Pre-publish warnings

When a website administrator is about to save a new page or post, our system checks for potential accessibility problems and displays warnings before the content goes live. This gives the administrator the opportunity to address issues before publishing.

What the Municipality Is Responsible For

The municipality is responsible for the accessibility of the content it creates, uploads, approves, and publishes on its Town Web website. This includes text, images, videos, documents, forms, agendas, minutes, notices, embedded content, and other materials the municipality makes available to the public through the website. Town Web provides platform tools intended to support accessible content creation and review, but the municipality controls the content it chooses to publish and remains responsible for responding to accessibility requests relating to its services, programs, activities, and published content.

Text and media content

The text, images, videos, and other media that the municipality adds to its website through the content editor. This includes writing meaningful alt text for images, using proper heading structures, providing captions for video content, and avoiding images of text.

Uploaded documents

PDFs, Word documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and other files that the municipality uploads to its website. Documents created outside of Town Web may contain accessibility issues that originate from the source file or the software used to create them. Town Web's scanner can identify many of these issues, but resolving them is the municipality's responsibility.

Third-party content

Content embedded from third-party services, such as payment processors, mapping services, social media feeds, video platforms, and similar tools. The accessibility of embedded third-party content is governed by those third-party providers. Town Web does not control the accessibility of third-party embedded content.

Responding to accessibility requests

When a member of the public reports an accessibility barrier on the municipality's website, the municipality is responsible for responding to that request and taking appropriate action. Town Web provides tools to support this process, but the obligation to respond belongs to the municipality.

This division of responsibility is intended to describe the operational roles of Town Web and the municipality. Town Web provides and maintains the website platform and accessibility-support tools. The municipality controls the governmental content and services it makes available to the public through the website and should consult legal counsel regarding its obligations under Title II of the ADA and other applicable accessibility laws.

What Our Scanner Does and Does Not Do

Town Web's accessibility scanner is a tool that helps municipalities identify accessibility issues on their websites. It is important to understand what automated scanning can and cannot accomplish.

What it does

The scanner checks pages and documents against WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria using automated tests. It reports issues such as missing alt text, insufficient color contrast, empty headings, missing form labels, missing document titles, and similar problems that can be detected programmatically. It also reports WCAG 2.2 findings as recommendations. Results are available in the customer dashboard alongside the site's other management tools.

What it does not do

Automated scanning cannot catch every accessibility issue. Many accessibility requirements require human judgment, including whether alternative text is meaningful, whether reading order is logical, whether content is understandable, and whether interactive elements behave as expected for users of assistive technology.

The scanner does not automatically fix or modify content on the website. It identifies problems and presents them to the site administrator. The decision to address, ignore, or remove flagged content belongs to the municipality.

Standards

Town Web designs and develops its platform to support conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA. WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the technical standard adopted by the U.S. Department of Justice for web content and mobile applications made available by state and local government entities under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 28 C.F.R. Part 35, Subpart H, as amended.

Under the DOJ rule, covered public entities must comply with the applicable WCAG 2.1 Level A and Level AA success criteria and conformance requirements by the compliance date applicable to that public entity. As of the date this statement was last reviewed, the DOJ’s compliance dates are April 26, 2027 for public entities, other than special district governments, with a total population of 50,000 or more, and April 26, 2028 for public entities with a total population of less than 50,000 or any special district government.

Town Web’s scanner also identifies certain additional issues by reference to WCAG 2.2 criteria. Because the current DOJ Title II technical standard is WCAG 2.1 Level AA, WCAG 2.2 findings are reported as recommendations rather than current federal conformance requirements.

Where Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act or comparable ICT accessibility requirements apply by law, contract, procurement terms, grant conditions, or customer requirement, Town Web’s platform tools are designed to support accessibility practices consistent with those requirements. Section 508 is separate from the DOJ’s Title II web accessibility rule and, under the Revised 508 Standards, incorporates WCAG 2.0 Level AA rather than WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

Compliance dates and regulatory requirements are established by federal and state authorities and are subject to change. Town Web monitors regulatory developments and communicates relevant updates to its customers. Municipalities should consult the Department of Justice’s current regulations and their own legal counsel for applicable compliance dates and obligations.

Known Limitations

Older themes

Town Web has built websites using multiple theme generations over the years. Our most recent themes are designed to target WCAG 2.1 AA conformance. Older themes may not meet current standards in all areas. We are actively working to update older themes and to migrate customers to current theme versions.

Customer-created content

Content created and published by the municipality may contain accessibility issues that Town Web's platform cannot prevent or detect. Our tools support accessible content creation, but the quality and accessibility of the published content depend on how the municipality uses those tools.

Uploaded documents

Documents uploaded to the website may contain accessibility issues originating from the source file. Our scanner can identify many document accessibility issues, but complex documents with intricate tables, scanned images, or specialized formatting may have issues that require manual review and remediation by the municipality or a qualified accessibility specialist.

Third-party content and embeds

Municipal websites may include content from third-party services. Town Web does not control and is not responsible for the accessibility of third-party content.

Automated scanning limitations

No automated tool catches every accessibility issue. Our scanner is one component of an accessibility program, not a replacement for manual testing and ongoing attention to accessible content practices.

Feedback and Accessibility Requests

We welcome feedback on the accessibility of the Town Web platform. If you encounter an accessibility barrier on a Town Web-powered website:

For issues with a specific municipal website's content: Contact the municipality directly. Each municipal website includes contact information for the administering office.

For issues with the Town Web platform itself (themes, templates, tools, navigation, or other platform features): Contact Town Web.

  • Email: [email protected]
  • Phone: 877-995-8696 (toll free) or 920-645-2823
  • Mail: Town Web Design, LLC, 1360 Regent Street #355, Madison, WI 53715

We aim to acknowledge accessibility feedback within 7 business days and to provide a response or resolution timeline within 7 business days.

Ongoing Efforts

Town Web is actively working to improve accessibility across our platform. Current efforts include:

  • Updating older themes to meet current WCAG 2.1 AA standards
  • Improving our scanner to cover more success criteria and provide clearer guidance to site administrators
  • Monitoring WCAG 2.2 and emerging standards to prepare our platform for future regulatory changes
  • Tracking federal and state regulatory developments that affect web accessibility requirements for municipalities
  • Training our team on accessibility standards and best practices
  • Reviewing and updating this statement as our practices and capabilities change

Legal Notice

Town Web's platform, tools, and services are designed to support municipalities in meeting their accessibility obligations under applicable law. Town Web's accessibility tools, including the built-in scanner and pre-publish warnings, are provided to assist municipalities and do not constitute legal advice or a guarantee of legal compliance.

The municipality is the entity with legal obligations under Title II of the ADA and other applicable accessibility laws. Town Web is a service provider that builds and maintains the website platform. Town Web's responsibility is limited to the platform, themes, templates, and tools it provides. The municipality is responsible for the content it creates, uploads, and publishes, for responding to public accessibility requests, and for its own compliance with applicable law.

Accessibility standards and compliance dates are established by federal and state authorities and may change. Town Web monitors these developments and updates its platform accordingly, but municipalities should consult qualified legal counsel regarding their specific obligations.

This statement was last reviewed on May 12, 2026.