Accessibility of State and Local Government Websites

to People with Disabilities

U.S. Department of Justice

Civil Rights Division

Disability Rights Section

The Internet is dramatically

changing the way that American

government serves the public.

Taking advantage of new

technology, many State and

local governments are using the

web to offer citizens a host of

services including:

corresponding online with

local officials;

providing information

about government

services;

renewing library books or

driver’s licenses;

providing tax information

and accepting tax returns;

and

applying for jobs or

benefits.

Local government websites provide important information and services to citizens

These government websites are

important because they:

allow programs and

services to be offered in a

more dynamic, interactive

way, increasing citizen

participation;

increase convenience and

speed in obtaining

information or services;

reduce costs in providing

programs and information

about government

services;

reduce the amount of

paperwork; and

expand the possibilities of

reaching new sectors of

the community or offering

new programs.

When government is constantly

being asked to do more with

less, the Internet is playing a

vital role in allowing

government to better serve all

of its citizens.

The Americans with Disabilities

Act (ADA) and, if the

government entities receive

Federal funding, the

Rehabilitation Act of 1973,

generally require that State and

local governments provide

qualified individuals with

disabilities equal access to their

programs, services, or activities,

unless doing so would

fundamentally alter the nature

of their programs, services, or

activities or would impose an

undue burden. One way to help

meet these requirements is to

ensure that government

websites have accessible

features for people with

disabilities, using the simple

steps described in this

document. An agency with an

inaccessible website may also

meet its legal obligations by

providing an alternative

accessible way for citizens to

use the programs or services,

such as a staffed telephone

information line. These
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alternatives, however, are unlikely to provide an

equal degree of access in terms of hours of

operation and the range of options and programs

available. For example, job announcements and

application forms, if posted on an accessible

website, would be available to people with

disabilities 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Online Barriers Faced By People with

Disabilities

Many people with disabilities use “assistive

technology” to enable them to use computers and

access the Internet. Blind people who cannot see

computer monitors may use screen readers –

devices that speak the text that would normally

appear on a monitor. People who have difficulty

using a computer mouse can use voice recognition

software to control their computers with verbal

commands. People with other types of disabilities

may use still other kinds of assistive technology.

New and innovative assistive technologies are

being introduced every day.

Poorly designed websites can create unnecessary

barriers for people with disabilities, just as poorly

designed buildings prevent some from entering.

Designers may not realize how simple features

built into a web page will assist someone who, for

instance, cannot see a computer monitor or use a

mouse.

One example of a barrier would be a photograph

of a Mayor on a town website with no text

identifying it. Because screen readers cannot

interpret images unless there is text associated

with it, a blind person would have no way of

knowing whether the image is an unidentified

photo or logo, artwork, a link to another page, or

something else. Simply adding a line of simple

hidden computer code to label the photograph

“Photograph of Mayor Jane Smith” will allow the

blind user to make sense of the image.

Accessible Design Benefits Everyone

When accessible features are built into web pages,

websites are more convenient and more available

to everyone – including users with disabilities.

Web designers can follow techniques developed

by private and government organizations to make

even complex web pages usable by everyone

including people with disabilities. For most

websites, implementing accessibility features is

not difficult and will seldom change the layout or

appearance of web pages. These techniques also

make web pages more usable both by people

using older computers and by people using the

latest technologies (such as personal digital

assistants, handheld computers, or web-enabled

cellular phones).

With the rapid changes in the Internet and in

assistive technologies used by people with

disabilities to access computers, private and

government organizations have worked to

establish flexible guidelines for accessible web

pages that permit innovation to continue.

Resources for Web Developers

To make web pages accessible, the web developer

needs to know about web page features that can

make a web page less accessible or more

accessible. Information about such features is

easily available and many software developers are

adding tools to web development software to

make it easier to make web pages accessible.

Two important resources provide guidance for

web developers designing accessible web pages.

One is the Section 508 Standards, which Federal

agencies must follow for their own new web

pages. To learn more about the Section 508

Standards:

• The Access Board maintains information on

its website at www.access-board.gov and

has a useful guide for web developers at

www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/

1194.22.htm;
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• The Department of Justice has information

about accessible web page design in an April

2000 report to the President. This report is

available at www.usdoj.gov/crt/508/report/

content.htm, and

• The General Services Administration hosts

an online course for web developers

interested in accessible web design. This

program was developed in conjunction with

the Access Board, the Department of Justice,

and the Department of Education and

provides an interactive demonstration of

how to build accessible web pages. This

course is available at www.section508.gov,

which also provides information about the

Federal government’s initiative to make its

electronic and information technology

accessible to people with disabilities.

Voluntary Action Plan for Accessible Websites

• Establish a policy that your web pages will be accessible and create a process for

implementation.

• Ensure that all new and modified web pages and content are accessible:

- Check the HTML1 of all new web pages. Make sure that accessible elements are used,

including alt tags, long descriptions, and captions, as needed.

- If images are used, including photos, graphics, scanned images, or image maps,

make sure to include alt tags and/or long descriptions for each.

- If you use online forms and tables, make those elements accessible.

- When posting documents on the website, always provide them in HTML or a textbased format (even if you are also providing them in another format, such as Portable

Document Format (PDF)).

• Develop a plan for making your existing web content more accessible. Describe

your plan on an accessible web page. Encourage input on improvements,

including which pages should be given high priority for change. Let citizens know

about the standards or guidelines that are being used. Consider making the more

popular web pages a priority.

• Ensure that in-house staff and contractors responsible for web page and content

development are properly trained.

• Provide a way for visitors to request accessible information or services by posting

a telephone number or E-mail address on your home page. Establish procedures

to assure a quick response to users with disabilities who are trying to obtain

information or services in this way.

• Periodically enlist disability groups to test your pages for ease of use; use this

information to increase accessibility.

1 Web pages are written using a language called HTML (or “hypertext markup language”). HTML is a “markup

language” that tells a computer program (called a “browser”) how information will appear or will be arranged on a

computer screen. HTML tags are specific instructions understood by a web browser or screen reader.
4

Some photos and images contain

content that cannot be described

with the limited text of an alt tag.

Using a long description tag

provides a way to have as much

text as necessary to explain the

image so it is accessible to a

person using a screen reader but

not visible on the web page.

Use alt tags for image maps and for

graphics associated with the image map so

that a person using a screen reader will

have access to the links and information.

When navigation links are used,

people who use a screen reader

must listen to all the links

before proceeding. A skip

navigation link provides a way

to bypass the row of navigation

links by jumping to the start of

the web page content.

All images and graphics

need to have an alt tag

or long description.

Text links do not

require any

additional

information or

description if the

text clearly

indicates what the

link is supposed to

do. Links such as

“click here” may

confuse a user.

When tables with header and row identifiers are used to

display information or data, the header and row information

should be associated with each data cell by using HTML so a

person using a screen reader can understand the information.

A link with contact

information provides a

way for users to request

accessible services or to

make suggestions.

Examples of Accessible Features for Websites
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A more comprehensive resource is the Web

Content Accessibility Guidelines developed by

the Web Accessibility Initiative. These

guidelines help designers make web pages as

accessible as possible to the widest range of

users, including users with disabilities. The

Web Accessibility Initiative is a subgroup of the

World Wide Web Consortium — the same

organization that standardizes the programming

language followed by all web developers.

• Information for web developers

interested in making their web pages as

accessible as possible, including the

current version of the Web Content

Accessibility Guidelines (and associated

checklists), can be found at

www.w3c.org/WAI/Resources, and

• Information about the Web Accessibility

Initiative can be found at

www.w3c.org/WAI.

For More Information

Technical Information

Regarding Web Accessibility

For technical assistance regarding Section 508

Standards and how to make web pages accessible

to people with disabilities, please contact the

Access Board:

 800-872-2253 (voice)

800-993-2822 (TTY)

Information about the ADA

The Department of Justice provides technical

assistance to help State and local governments

understand and comply with the ADA. An

important source of ADA information is the

Department’s ADA Home Page on the World

Wide Web. This extensive website provides

access to ADA regulations; all Department ADA

technical assistance materials, including newlyreleased publications; proposed changes in the

ADA regulations; and access to Freedom of

Information Act materials, including technical

assistance letters. The website also provides

links to other Federal agencies with ADA

responsibilities.

ADA Home Page -- www.ada.gov

In addition, the Department of Justice operates a

toll-free ADA Information Line that provides

access to ADA specialists during business hours.

ADA Information Line

 800-514-0301 (voice)

800-514-0383 (TTY)

Resources for Web Developers (continued)

The Attorney General has determined that publication of

this periodical is necessary in the transaction of the public

business required by law of the Department of Justice.

Reproduction

Reproduction of this document is encouraged.

June 2003