For counties, courts, public colleges and other public entities
What a public-sector website has to resolve
Under ADA Title II, state and local government websites must meet WCAG 2.1 AA. Most of what that standard asks for is decided in the design, long before the code.
Six decisions to settle before the first page
They apply whoever designs the site.
Critical tasks first
Paying a bill, applying for a permit, finding a court date. The paths people depend on are designed and checked before anything else.
The standard: WCAG 2.1 AA
Color pairs with enough contrast, a visible focus, targets that are easy to press, and layouts that still work when the page is zoomed to 400%.
Documents count too
The PDFs, forms and flyers posted on the site are covered. Older documents kept only for reference can be exceptions; anything people use to apply for or access a service is not.
Vendor tools are part of the site
Payment portals, meeting agendas and online forms run by a vendor are still the entity’s responsibility. The design covers how people move into them, and the contract should ask for the same standard.
Video and audio
Recorded video needs captions, and audio description when the picture carries information. Live audio needs live captions.
Editors keep it accessible
The site changes every week. Templates, components and clear content rules let the people who edit it publish new pages that still meet the standard. The rule keeps applying after the compliance date.
Beyond the rule. Plain language and other languages are not a Title II requirement, but they are part of a site people can use: critical pages in plain language, and other language versions designed with the same rules.
Not legal advice. The full rule and its exceptions are on ADA.gov (opens in a new tab).
How a project runs with your team
Seen from your side: what happens at each stage and what your team decides. AndiSites Inc. leads the project: proposal, development and launch. eMirDesigner brings the design.
01
A first conversation
30 minutes on Zoom about your site, your deadline and where design can help. If it is a fit, AndiSites Inc. prepares the proposal.
02
Your team shares what people need
We review your current site with you, talk with your staff and the people who depend on it, and agree on the critical tasks together.
03
You review the design before it is built
You see the design system and the key pages, with the reasons behind each choice, and decide before development starts.
04
Your team takes over
Two reviews with the developers, before and after the build. Then your editors get help guides and short videos to keep the site accessible.
Accessibility and compliance are not the same thing. Good design prevents many barriers before the code, but conformance is confirmed by testing the built site: automated tools catch only part of the issues, and manual testing with assistive technology finds the rest. AndiSites Inc. offers full audits, manual testing, reporting and remediation with its team of experts, for new sites and for existing sites that need to stay compliant.
What your team keeps
A documented accessible design system for future pages
Help guides and short videos for the people who edit the site
The design review checklist and the plain-language content rules
From a project partner
“Websites should serve people. Accessibility makes room for everyone.”
Andrea Ferguson, President, AndiSites Inc.
Bringing these decisions to a real project
Website projects for public entities are delivered together with AndiSites Inc., a web firm that serves government, justice organizations and public colleges. One team, one process, accessibility built in from the first sketch.