CivicPlus® Web Accessibility Checker and Solutions

Web Accessibility Requirements in Your Community

In the United States, it’s estimated that more than one in four people lives with a disability — and unfortunately, according to our strategic partner Audio Eye, just 3% of the internet is fully accessible to them through public accommodations.

Soon, that’s going to change. In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice formalized new standards for web accessibility to ensure that every person is able to access news, information, and online services provided by government agencies.

Some agencies have until 2026 to comply with the new rule, while others have until 2027 — and communities should see improved resident satisfaction and increased engagement as a result. After all, if more residents can access their government’s website and online content, it’s easier than ever to self-service their needs and get involved.

Digital Accessibility Checker for ADA and WCAG Compliance

How accessible is your website? Determining this on your own is more complicated than you might think.

The good news is: CivicPlus can help. Get a free scan now from CivicPlus’ website accessibility checker to uncover any ADA compliance or WCAG 2.2 compliance issues — and unearth problems with content quality, broken links, and other usability issues, such as color contrast or response time, too.

Afterward, we’ll explain the results in detail — and help you make a plan for the future.

Website Accessibility Compliance Is Mandatory

When it comes in the form of unexpected fines and legal action, the cost of accessibility non-compliance is about three times higher than the cost of proactive compliance — and the financial impact of legal lawsuits is increasing annually.

Entities may be fined up to $75,000 for an initial ADA violation and $150,000 for subsequent ones. In addition, there has been an uptick of public sector ADA compliance lawsuits recently, some with settlements of thousands of dollars. And these lawsuits can come from anyone, including serial plaintiffs who browse the Internet, looking for violations, according to reports.

Compliance is a moral imperative — but noncompliance is an avoidable, costly mistake. You owe it to your taxpayers to protect your budget (and their money).

Digital Content Monitoring Should Be Continuous

Like your community, your website is an actively growing and changing entity. To ensure that as you add and update content, links, forms, documents, files, and tools, your current version of your website remains accessible to every community member including those individuals with disabilities, you need integrated quality assurance, website monitoring, and governance solutions for web accessibility.

No matter the size of your team and budget, we have easy-to-implement and maintain tools to empower your digital content creators. Get started now with a free scan from our website accessibility audit:

CivicPlus is the leading ADA compliant website provider for the public sector for a reason. Our Web Accessibility solution suite is designed to fit the size of any budget, team, and community. More importantly, our software is built in collaboration with, and quality-assurance tested by, accessibility-certified experts living with visual impairments. 

Why Prioritize Web Accessibility for People 

• 26% (1 in 4) of Americans live with a disability.
• 53% of websites are considered to be on the path to accessibility compliance. 
• Only 1 in 4 cities had more than 50% of their documents tagged for WCAG. 

No matter which Web Accessibility solutions fit your compliance and maintenance strategy, with CivicPlus, you can be confident your staff and residents can rely on:

• A website that fosters resident self-service and reduces in-person and over-the-phone requests
• Inclusive access to your digital news, information, resources, and services
• Digital tools without broken links, misspellings, and other web errors that break residents’ trust in your administration
• Automated processes and reporting, consolidation of digital tools, and optimized collaboration and visibility across departments
• Compliance with the latest accessibility regulations, reducing your risk of costly and unexpected legal fines and fees
• 24/7 technical support from our award-winning team
• Easy-to-use, integrated solutions built to enable one-stop, frictionless, personalized digital resident and administrative experiences
• Decades of government leadership expertise and guidance from former government leaders

Which CivicPlus Web Accessibility solution will help you create positive civic experiences in your community?