Accessibility for government websites
Public services must work for everyone. Agencies often combine federal or regional standards with procurement rules that reference WCAG.
Run a free scan
Scan citizen-facing pages and forms. Document results for continuity as administrations change.
Procurement and vendors
Require accessibility acceptance criteria in RFPs. Ask vendors for VPATs or equivalent documentation, then verify with your own scans and manual tests.
Forms and documents
PDFs remain common; ensure accessible source documents and HTML alternatives when possible. Web forms should label every control and surface errors clearly.
Multilingual access
Offer language selection that works with assistive tech. Translate critical instructions, not only marketing copy.
Transparency
Publish an accessibility statement describing known issues and timelines. Link to contact paths for accommodation requests.
Further reading
See our article on public-sector approaches and the WCAG checklist guide.
Questions people ask
- Section 508?
- US federal requirements reference WCAG; confirm current policy with your counsel.
- Legacy systems?
- Prioritize high-traffic services; phased remediation is common.
- Testing frequency?
- Scan after major CMS or template updates.
- Complaints?
- Document remediation efforts; automated scans support good-faith work.