Project Description

The City of Lebanon, New Hampshire, must comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandates that local governments ensure their services, programs, and activities are accessible to individuals with disabilities. The Department of Justice’s 2024 rule for digital ADA compliance establishes Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard for compliance under Title II of the ADA. Compliance with this standard is crucial to ensure that all citizens can access important government updates, communications, and services.

People with disabilities face obstacles when accessing digital content that fails WCAG 2.1 AA standards. The City of Lebanon guarantees both legal compliance and equitable accessibility for all community members by upholding WCAG 2.1 AA. Otherwise, significant swaths of Lebanon’s populace will be unable to access, understand, or interact with online government services if these requirements are not met. Therefore, adherence to the DOJ regulations will promote inclusiveness, avert prejudice, and improve the general user experience for persons with a disability.

Methodology

The team first conducted research to ground ourselves in the common themes found in accessibility literature. After highlighting some of the most common ADA complaints, we focused on interviewing pertinent stakeholders within the city. These interviews served as a baseline for addressing Lebanon-specific compliance concerns. Our research has borne out case study countries like Norway that have had the most success in digital accessibility. Some of our research groups took the unique approach of conducting an accessibility audit, walking through Lebanon's website as an ADA tester would. This audit provided valuable feedback from the perspective of a person with a disability.

Project Deliverables

Our 30-page report provides “Action Pack Items” or a list of suggestions, recommendations, or forms tailored to the City of Lebanon's current accessibility issues. There are three Action Pack Items in this report divided among Lebanon’s three major accessibility issues:

Project Impact and Future Work

In conclusion, Lebanon can improve its digital accessibility compliance under Title II of the ADA by implementing these action pack items. Examining the demographic breakdown in the City of Lebanon shows that around 10.8% of the entire population identifies as having a disability. Of this subsection, the most common disabilities include mobility, cognitive, and hearing impairments. Given the prevalence of these types of disabilities, Lebanon's focus in the short run should be on addressing concerns from online users with these impairments.

Although each action pack item aids Lebanon's compliance efforts, the City should further focus in the long run on a concept known as "Universal Design." Universal design entails opening digital spaces for all users, not just people with disabilities. The principles underlying universal design are the backdrop to ADA regulatory changes. Thus, Lebanon can ensure its compliance efforts by striving above the minimum regulatory criteria toward a universal digital design.

Contributors