Accessibility of State and Local Government Websites to People with Disabilities

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 text-
based 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.

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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 newly-
released 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

The Americans with Disabilities Act authorizes the Department of Justice (the Department) to
provide technical assistance to individuals and entities that have rights or responsibilities under the
Act. This document provides informal guidance to assist you in understanding the ADA and the
Department's regulations.
This guidance document is not intended to be a final agency action, has no legally binding effect,
and may be rescinded or modified in the Department’s complete discretion, in accordance with
applicable laws. The Department’s guidance documents, including this guidance, do not establish
legally enforceable responsibilities beyond what is required by the terms of the applicable statutes,
regulations, or binding judicial precedent.