Since the new ruling of the Department of Justice, effective June 24, 2024, the adoption of specific technical standards, for making accessible the services, programs, and activities offered by State and local government entities to the public through the web and mobile applications (“apps”) has gone into effect. All website owners are keenly aware of how important it is to have a website that is accessible to people of all abilities. In addition to assessing and fixing blatantly inaccessible elements of your site, it is a good idea to create a website accessibility statement. It is important to let users know that you’re trying, that you care, and that you’re willing to fix mistakes that make it difficult for them to use your site.
Website Accessibility Components
There is now a firm outline of what an accessible website is. The Department adopted the internationally recognized accessibility standard for web access, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (“WCAG”) 2.1. As such, your accessibility statement should include the following:
- A statement letting users know that you are constantly working to make the website more accessible.
- A list of things you’re doing to make your site more compliant.
- A statement letting users know that if they experience difficulty with your site that they can contact you.
- Information on browser compatibility information if you’d like.
W3C, the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web, has developed an accessibility statement tool to help you create a statement for your website.
Sample Website Accessibility Statement
CourseVector takes website accessibility seriously. If you use assistive technology (such as a Braille reader, a screen reader, or TTY) and the format of any material on this website interferes with your ability to access information, please contact us. To help us address the problem quickly, please indicate the nature of your accessibility issue, the preferred format in which to receive the material, the URL of the requested material, and your contact information. Users who need accessibility assistance can also contact us by phone through the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY/Voice communication.
Accessibility Design Guidelines
We strive to comply with website accessibility standards. If you have difficulty accessing the site or have any comments or feedback, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Browser Accessibility Information
Many popular browsers contain built-in accessibility tools.
Microsoft Edge Accessibility Information
Firefox Accessibility Information
Chrome Accessibility Information
Adobe Reader makes viewing and printing PDF documents that appear on this website easier. To download this program for free, visit the Adobe website. To read PDF documents with a screen reader, please visit the Adobe Reader Accessibility website which provides useful tools and resources.
Sample Accessibility Template
We also have a sample accessibility statement that you can use as a start to creating your own website accessibility statement.
More Accessibility tools and tips
Alt Tags for Accessibility
Accessible Poetry Plugin Review
The National Center on Disability and Access to Education’s accessible content “Cheat sheets” — Accessible Web Content
Creating Accessible PDFs
Contrast Checker
Microsoft Accessibility Checker
W3.org’s List of Accessibility Tools
As always, if you’re unsure whether your website meets legal guidelines, you’ll need to consult a lawyer who specializes in website accessibility.
Ready to make your site more accessible? CourseVector has partnered with UserWay to offer a discount on their accessibility plugin. This coupled with our maintenance program helps to ensure that your users are getting the best, most accessible experience possible.
