Accessibility

Policy

This policy ensures that all digital tools, including websites and applications used by State Entities, meet minimum accessibility standards so everyone, including people with disabilities, can use them.

Deadlines

  • Ensure that all web content and mobile applications conform to the Level AA success criteria and conformance requirements of WCAG Version 2.1 in accordance with the Department of Justice Rule by June 25, 2026.
  • Ensure that each website either owned or maintained by the SE, including those provided by third parties, conform to the Level AA success criteria and conformance requirements of WCAG Version 2.2, or any successor guidelines, by January 1, 2027, in accordance with STL Section 103-d.

Current ITS Policy

This policy recognizes the importance of universal accessibility and establishes minimum accessibility requirements to ensure that Information and Communication Technology (“ICT”), including applications, websites, and other digital interfaces, developed, procured, maintained, or used by State Entities (“SE”) are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.

To ensure compliance with the requirements of this policy, SEs must:

  • Ensure that all web content and mobile applications conform to the Level AA success criteria and conformance requirements of WCAG Version 2.1 in accordance with the DOJ Rule by June 25, 2026.
  • Ensure that each website either owned or maintained by the SE, including those provided by third parties, conform to the Level AA success criteria and conformance requirements of WCAG Version 2.2, or any successor guidelines, by January 1, 2027, in accordance with STL Section 103-d.
  • Conduct manual testing of ICT before production use, prior to any fundamental alterations, and biennially thereafter through use of specialized software or services.
  • Maintain documented testing reports for each ICT until the next automated and manual testing is completed.
  • Keep a list of ICTs and the current compliance status of each.
  • Clearly display a link labeled “Accessibility” in the footer of the SE website’s Home Page. The link should direct users to a page with contact information for questions about the site’s accessibility and the accessibility of any other ICT under the control of the SE.

Read Full Policy

Measurable Standards

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act established federal accessibility standards for government sites. However, as web technologies rapidly evolved, Section 508 became outdated. In January 2018, the guidance was revised to recommend “reviewing and prioritizing W3C, WCAG, and ARIA authoring best practices” for compliance, rather than specific web technology guidance that was previously part of the 508 legislation. This shift reflects how W3C governing bodies have kept pace with web evolution, providing updated guidance and compliance measures that both federal and state government agencies can use. https://www.section508.gov/refresh-toolkit

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international community that develops open standards to ensure the long-term growth of the Web. https://www.w3.org

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are developed through the W3C process in cooperation with individuals and organizations around the world, with a goal of providing a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally. https://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag

ARIA, the Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite, defines a way to make web content and web applications more accessible to people with disabilities. ARIA is particularly useful for making accessible dynamic content and complex user interface controls that are built with HTML, JavaScript, and similar technologies. https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-1.1/#usage