Digital Accessibility Requirements

All websites, applications, digital content, social media, and any other digital products or services developed or acquired by Martin County must, at a minimum, comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.

Digital content refers to a wide range of materials created, shared, or consumed in digital format, including but not limited to text, images, videos, audio, electronic documents, web pages, social media, and multimedia.

When designing, procuring, or proposing digital content or solutions for Martin County, you must ensure accessibility standards are integrated into your content, products, and digital services.

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that state and local government entities ensure their programs, services, and activities, including websites and digital content, are accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Additionally, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that programs and activities receiving federal funding ensure equal access to individuals with disabilities, including making electronic and information technology accessible.

This accessibility standard applies to:

  1. Everything online run by or for Martin County, its departments, and commission.
  2. Digital content created by elected officials, employees, consultants, and vendors.

Everyone involved in the creation, management, procurement, and maintenance of digital content, products, and services holds responsibility for ensuring accessibility. This includes content creators, web editors, web developers, designers, project managers, and third-party vendors.

All Martin County staff must:

  • Develop new digital content in line with accessibility standards and best practices.
  • Work with the Information Technology Services (ITS) Department and Purchasing Division to ensure accessibility is considered in the procurement and bidding process. Third-party vendors must meet the County's accessibility requirements when providing or creating digital content, products, or services.

Exceptions to these standards for specific applications or digital content will be reviewed and must be approved by both the Martin County Administrator and the County Attorney. A Department requesting an exception must present the reasons why it is needed.

The Department's request for an exception must include its plan for providing accommodation or modification to an individual upon request.

Technical Standard

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are an international standard for making digital content accessible. The WCAG is organized around 4 core principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust, with 13 guidelines and success criteria categorized into three conformance levels: A, AA, and AAA.

References

WCAG Standard The WCAG 2.1 guidelines and success criteria.
Understanding Docs Detailed explanations for guidelines and success criteria.
Quick Reference A quick reference to WCAG 2 requirements and techniques.
WCAG 101 Understanding the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
WCAG at a Glance A paraphrased summary of WCAG 2.1.
WebAIM's WCAG Checklist A checklist that outlines the requirements by success criteria.