We need to make websites and their content and information be Accessible to everybody, no matter the nature of anybody’s ability or disability.
As a representative of local government, the responsibility to ensure that websites and their content are accessible to all individuals, regardless of their abilities, is part of the job. Local municipal websites are seen as the online version of the town hall in todays world; access for all local residents is vital
The Americans Disability Act 508 compliance can be viewed here: https://www.ada.gov/508/
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d) requires that Federal agencies' electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities, including employees and members of the public.
Boiling this down to one word: "Accessibility". A key term nowadays as we learn to include people in multiple ways. We must ensure that local government websites and their content are accessible to all individuals, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.
The municipal website hosts information, guidelines, meeting minutes and agendas as well as decisions that all influence residents and the bigger community.
To address the necessary components for ensuring ADA Section 508 compliance services on a municipal website, four primary pillars are outlined: Visual, Auditory, Mobility, and Cognitive
Certainly, you may recognize the ISA wheelchair logo—a white wheelchair symbol with a circle representing the head, set against a blue background. The logo's original design was crafted by Danish design student Susanne Koefoed in 1968, as noted on the Wikipedia page.
The aim of this design was to signify enhanced access to various areas, specifically for wheelchair users. Nonetheless, it's important to note that individuals with disabilities are not solely those with physical impairments.
According to statistics provided by a group of creatives in London known as Visibility93, 93-95% of people with disabilities have non-visual impairments.
When an individual mentions their disability to a staff member at the municipality, a welcoming and appropriate way to respond would be to ask “How can I help you?”
At Town Web, we are collaborating with various real-world users of municipal websites who are well-equipped to provide us with valuable feedback. One individual pointed out that a significant number of blind users access websites through mobile devices and utilize the built-in screen reader integrated into their operating system. For instance, iOS devices use VoiceOver as their screen reader, while Android devices use TalkBalk.
Here is a free online tool that can be used for checking contrast of image and of foreground/background combinations.
ContrastCheckerURL: https://contrastchecker.com/
You can manually add the hex codes values for a foreground and background colors
It will show you whether or not it complies with the various WCAG 2.0 criterion. Results will show whether there is enough contrast to meet WCAG 2.0 criterion in any given image, or not. You can also upload images and it will display a grayscale version
All Town Web Design local municipal websites are ADA compliant, because we like to make Clerk-work easier! Contact Town Web today, to get a local municipal website that offers not only 508 compliance services, but also digital tools to ensure residents can participate in the community, the way they choose!
