Digital Accessibility Plan

Published: July 1, 2025
Last Updated: July 1, 2025
Next Planned Update: July 1, 2026

We recognize that accessibility is an ongoing process and this plan is updated annually to reflect our progress and reaffirm our commitment.

Our digital accessibility efforts are guided by the following technical standards:

• 8 CCR 1501-11 – Rules Establishing Technology Accessibility Standards
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, Level AA or higher, developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Chapter 4

These standards help ensure that the digital tools and services we offer are inclusive and usable by everyone, including people with disabilities.

Assessment Date: June 30, 2025

The City has progressed through four distinct stages of accessibility maturity:

1. Inactive – At the earliest stage, there was limited awareness or recognition of digital accessibility needs. The City began inventorying technology and exploring initial investments.
2. Launch – Organizational awareness grew, and the need for accessibility was acknowledged across departments. Planning efforts began, though activities remained somewhat unstructured.
3. Integrate – A defined and well-organized approach took shape, including a documented roadmap and clear timelines. Accessibility efforts became more strategic and coordinated across the organization.
4. Optimize (Current Stage) – Accessibility is now embedded into the fabric of the organization. It is consistently evaluated, and actions are taken based on assessment outcomes to continuously improve digital equity.

Since launching our digital accessibility program, the City of Boulder has made significant strides in aligning our technology practices with HB21-1110 and the Colorado Rules Establishing Technology Accessibility Standards. Our progress reflects a multi-year, cross-departmental effort grounded in leadership support, strategic planning, and community impact.

Key accomplishments include:

• Built internal capacity and leadership:
  The City hired a full-time Digital Accessibility Program Manager to lead citywide accessibility efforts and established a cross-departmental Steering Committee to support high-impact program decisions, including vendor review, procurement processes, and ICT prioritization. The Accessibility Champions group was also relaunched to provide departmental-level support, training, and sustainability.
• Assessed and prioritized software and tools:
  Conducted nearly 200 third-party software assessments to date. Integrated accessibility review into renewals, resulting in improved contract language and remediation roadmaps for noncompliant vendors.
• Expanded employee training and awareness:
  Trained more than 2,400 employees through self-paced courses and specialized sessions on digital accessibility and accessible content creation. 94% of current employees have completed mandatory training. Messaging around digital accessibility was embedded in internal communications (such as newsletters) and Town Hall meetings.
• Improved accessible content and processes:
  Established a citywide document accessibility plan to guide remediation, archiving, or conversion of high-use content. Created 150 accessible web forms to replace inaccessible PDFs. Implemented a strategic remediation approach and updated the website publishing process to ensure accessibility compliance moving forward.
• Engaged statewide and nationally:
  Participated in accessibility conferences such as Accessing Higher Ground, axe-con, and MS Ability. Launched a statewide municipal accessibility peer group to share best practices and support mutual compliance goals.
• Enhanced tools and resources:
  Procured and expanded use of tools like Siteimprove, PopeTech, CommonLook, and Formstack. Developed internal guidance and reference articles to support content creators across departments.
• Formalized policy and accountability:
  Created a Citywide Digital Accessibility Policy that outlines roles, responsibilities, and expectations for ensuring accessible technology and content, anticipated to go live by September 2025. The policy reinforces the City's commitment to compliance with HB21-1110 and supports consistent implementation across departments.

Challenges remain, particularly around limited staffing, evolving legal requirements, and the complexity of remediating legacy systems and documents. Despite these obstacles, the City remains committed to continual improvement and meaningful progress.

The City of Boulder is committed to equitable access for all users. Our implementation strategy includes:

• Roadmap and performance metrics:
  We are establishing a citywide digital accessibility roadmap that includes clear goals, timelines, roles and responsibilities, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress. This roadmap guides implementation efforts and ensures accountability across departments.
• Procurement Integration:
  Accessibility requirements are embedded in our procurement processes. Vendors must provide accessibility conformance reports (e.g., VPATs) and remediation roadmaps when gaps exist.
• Alternative Access and Complaints:
  We provide alternative access upon request and are preparing staff to respond appropriately and consistently.
  Accessibility Complaint or Request Form

• Staff training and capacity building:
  The City provides a comprehensive training program to ensure employees understand and apply digital accessibility best practices in their work. All staff are required to complete the “Understanding HB21-1110 and Digital Accessibility in Boulder” training, a self-paced course available in Workday Learning. This training introduces the state law, the basics of digital accessibility, and actionable steps for supporting inclusion.

  In addition to the required training, specialized training is available based on job roles and responsibilities, including document accessibility (Microsoft Office and PDFs), GIS tools, and website content editing. A robust set of internal resources and “how to” guides support continued learning, and staff have access to testing tools and document remediation software to apply their training in practice.

• Feedback Channels:
  Community members can submit accessibility feedback or request assistance via:
  Email: accessibility@bouldercolorado.gov
  Phone: 720-576-2506
  Online Form: Accessibility Complaint or Request Form
• Technology Design and Testing:
  Accessibility requirements are integrated into technology design, development, and QA processes. We use both automated and manual testing to evaluate ICT systems for accessibility compliance.
• Technology Inventory and Prioritization:
  We are developing and maintaining an inventory of ICT and applying the following prioritization model.

To support inclusive access to City services, we review the accessibility of all software and digital tools whenever a new contract is signed or an existing one is renewed or modified.

We use a structured evaluation process that helps us prioritize where to focus accessibility improvements. This includes reviewing:

• Whether the system is public-facing or internal
• How many people it affects
• How critical it is to core City services
• The cost and stage in its lifecycle
• The vendor’s accessibility documentation and willingness to improve

Based on these criteria, we apply a risk-based prioritization model that helps us determine whether to

• Test
• Plan for alternative access
• Work with the vendor on a roadmap to compliance
• Plan for a replacement
• Consider Undue Burden, Undue Hardship, Fundamental Alterations, or Direct Threat

We prioritize systems that are most critical to public access and City operations.

This approach ensures we focus our efforts where they will have the greatest impact and use public resources responsibly as we work toward full accessibility compliance.

We follow a structured process to monitor and improve accessibility:

• Conduct regular audits of high-impact ICT using WCAG 2.2 AA standards.
• Use automated tools for routine testing and issue tracking.
• Engage external testers to validate accessibility.
• Collaborate with vendors and content owners to remediate identified issues.
• Track progress centrally and update this plan as milestones are achieved.

City of Boulder ensures equal access to digital services when possible through:

• Timely response to requests from our community.
• Modifications made to digital processes when barriers are identified.
• Alternate formats provided when standard digital content is not accessible.

Users can request accommodations by contacting:
Email: accessibility@bouldercolorado.gov
Phone: 720-576-2506
Online Form: Accessibility Complaint or Request Form