Civic Comply
Advocating for the Disabled by Ensuring ADA & WCAG Compliance for Public Sector Websites
Advocating for accessibility
At Civic Comply, our mission is to ensure that public sector websites are fully accessible and compliant with ADA and WCAG standards. We advocate for individuals with disabilities who face challenges accessing essential services and information on public agency websites. Our dedicated focus on the public sector allows us to understand and address the unique needs and requirements of government entities, schools, and other public institutions.
Our Process
Initial Compliance Report
We begin by conducting a thorough assessment of your website to identify areas of noncompliance. Our initial report highlights deficiencies and provides clear, actionable recommendations to bring your site up to standard. This critical first step helps you understand how accessibility issues impact your users and what needs to be done to resolve them.
Direct Outreach and Advocacy
Once we identify noncompliance issues, we proactively reach out to public agencies to inform them of the deficiencies. Our goal is to educate and collaborate, helping you understand the importance of website accessibility and the potential legal ramifications of noncompliance. We provide detailed explanations on how these issues affect individuals with disabilities and the broader community.
Hands-On Support and Solutions
Civic Comply offers comprehensive support to guide you through the process of achieving full ADA and WCAG compliance. From redesigning and customizing your website to meet accessibility standards to offering ongoing consulting services, we hold your hand every step of the way. Our expert team ensures that your website not only meets but exceeds compliance requirements, providing a seamless and inclusive user experience for all visitors.
Why Compliance Matters
- ADA Compliance: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that all public entities ensure their websites are accessible to people with disabilities. Key requirements include keyboard accessibility, text alternatives for non-text content, and adaptable content.
- WCAG Compliance: The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide technical specifications to improve the accessibility of web content. WCAG 2.1 includes criteria for making content perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
- Unrecognized Noncompliance: Most agencies are unaware that their websites are not compliant. This often stems from a lack of understanding among web developers regarding the intricacies of accessibility standards and the serious consequences of noncompliance.
The Risks of Noncompliance
- Legal Consequences: Non-compliant websites can face lawsuits and legal actions, resulting in costly settlements or judgments.
- Fines: The Department of Justice (DOJ) can impose fines for non-compliance, which can be substantial.
- Reputational Damage: Non-compliance can harm your agency's reputation, indicating a lack of commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.
Our Comprehensive Services
Auditing
Detailed assessments to identify non-compliance issues.
Reporting
Comprehensive reports with actionable recommendations.
Consulting
Expert advice and guidance to navigate the complexities of compliance.
Web Design and Development
Custom website design and development services to ensure compliance.
Hosting
Reliable and secure hosting solutions tailored for public sector websites.
Website Rebuilding
We can remediate your existing site to make it compliant, but typically for much less money, we can deploy a whole new website and hosting for far less effort and expense.
Understanding ADA & WCAG Compliance
What is ADA Compliance?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. For websites, ADA compliance means ensuring that digital content is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This includes:
Keyboard Accessibility
All functionalities must be operable through a keyboard interface, ensuring that users who cannot use a mouse can still navigate the site.
Text Alternatives
Providing text alternatives for non-text content (such as images, videos, and infographics) so that screen readers can convey this information to visually impaired users.
Time-Based Media:
Offering alternatives for time-based media, including captions for videos and transcripts for audio content, to ensure all users can access this information.
Adaptable Content
Ensuring content can be presented in different ways without losing information or structure, making it accessible on various devices and screen sizes.
What is WCAG Compliance?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a set of guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure web content is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. WCAG 2.1 is the latest version and includes criteria for making web content:
Perceivable
Users must be able to perceive the information being presented. This includes providing text alternatives, captions for multimedia, and ensuring content is adaptable for different screen sizes.
Operable
User interface components and navigation must be operable. This includes making all functionality available from a keyboard and providing users enough time to read and use content.
Understandable
Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable. This includes making text readable and predictable, and helping users avoid and correct mistakes.
Robust
Content must be robust enough that it can be reliably interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.
Steps to Achieve Compliance
Auditing
- Initial Assessment: Conduct a thorough audit of your current website to identify areas of non-compliance. This includes testing for keyboard accessibility, screen reader compatibility, color contrast, and more.
- Detailed Reporting: Provide a comprehensive report that outlines all areas of non-compliance along with specific recommendations for improvements.
Implementation
- Redesign and Development: Redesign or develop your website to address the identified issues. This includes updating HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to meet accessibility standards.
- Content Updates: Ensure all content, including images, videos, and documents, meets accessibility guidelines by providing text alternatives, captions, and ensuring proper formatting.
Testing
- Manual Testing: Conduct manual testing using assistive technologies such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, and alternative input devices to ensure the site is accessible to all users.
- Automated Testing: Utilize automated tools to check for compliance with WCAG 2.1 success criteria and identify any remaining issues.
Ongoing Maintenance
- Regular Audits: Conduct regular audits to ensure ongoing compliance as standards evolve and new content is added.
- User Feedback: Implement mechanisms for user feedback to identify and address accessibility issues as they arise.
Why Choose Civic Comply?
- Expertise in Public Sector Compliance: Our sole focus on the public sector ensures that we are well-versed in the specific challenges and requirements of government and public agency websites.
- Dedicated Advocacy for the Disabled: We are passionate about advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities and ensuring they have equal access to public services and information.
- Comprehensive and Personalized Service: From initial assessments to full-scale website redesigns, we provide tailored solutions and hands-on support to achieve and maintain compliance.
- Proactive Legal Risk Mitigation: Our services help you avoid the legal and financial repercussions of non-compliance, protecting your agency and the taxpayers you serve.
Get A quote
We would love to speak with you.Take the first step towards making your website accessible and compliant. Contact Civic Comply to schedule an initial assessment and learn how we can help you achieve full ADA and WCAG compliance.