Illinois municipalities face increasing pressure to make their websites accessible to all residents, including those with disabilities. With ADA lawsuits against government entities on the rise, understanding your compliance obligations isn't just good citizenship—it's essential risk management. This comprehensive guide covers what Illinois municipal leaders need to know about website accessibility.
Understanding ADA Requirements for Government Websites
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires state and local governments to provide equal access to their programs, services, and activities. While the ADA was enacted in 1990, before the modern internet existed, courts have consistently interpreted it to apply to government websites as extensions of public services.
In 2024, the Department of Justice issued updated guidance specifically addressing web accessibility for state and local governments under Title II of the ADA. This guidance confirms that public entities must ensure their websites are accessible to people with disabilities.
For Illinois municipalities, this means your website—where residents access services, pay bills, find information, and interact with government—must be usable by everyone, including people who:
- Are blind or have low vision and use screen readers
- Are deaf or hard of hearing and need captions for video content
- Have motor disabilities and navigate using keyboards or alternative devices
- Have cognitive disabilities and need clear, simple content organization
WCAG Standards: The Technical Foundation
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), provide the technical standards for web accessibility. The DOJ's 2024 guidance specifies WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the standard for government websites.
WCAG is organized around four principles, often abbreviated as POUR:
Perceivable
Content must be presentable in ways all users can perceive. This includes:
- Text alternatives for images (alt text)
- Captions and transcripts for audio and video
- Content that can be presented in different ways without losing meaning
- Sufficient color contrast between text and backgrounds
- Text that can be resized without losing functionality
Operable
Interface components must be operable by all users. This covers:
- Full keyboard accessibility for all functions
- Sufficient time for users to read and interact with content
- No content that causes seizures (flashing elements)
- Clear navigation and wayfinding
- Multiple ways to find pages (search, sitemap, navigation)
Understandable
Content and interface operation must be understandable. Requirements include:
- Readable text at appropriate grade levels
- Predictable page behavior and navigation
- Input assistance to prevent and correct errors
- Consistent navigation and identification
Robust
Content must be robust enough for various assistive technologies:
- Valid HTML that assistive technologies can interpret
- Name, role, and value information for all interface components
- Compatibility with current and future user agents
For a deeper dive into implementing these standards, visit our ADA Accessibility for Municipal Websites service page.
Illinois-Specific Requirements and Considerations
Beyond federal ADA requirements, Illinois municipalities should be aware of state-specific factors:
Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act (IITAA)
The IITAA requires state agencies to ensure their websites are accessible. While this applies directly to state agencies rather than municipalities, it sets an expectation and provides resources that local governments can leverage.
Illinois Human Rights Act
The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on disability in public accommodations, which courts may interpret to include municipal websites and digital services.
Open Meetings Act Compliance
Illinois municipalities must comply with the Open Meetings Act, which increasingly intersects with web accessibility. If you post meeting agendas and minutes online, those documents must be accessible. This includes:
- PDF documents with proper tagging and reading order
- Video recordings with captions
- Accessible online meeting participation options
The Legal Landscape: Lawsuits and Enforcement
ADA lawsuits against government entities have increased dramatically in recent years. Understanding the risks helps prioritize accessibility investments.
DOJ Enforcement Actions
The Department of Justice has investigated and reached settlement agreements with numerous local governments over website accessibility. Settlements typically require:
- Bringing the website into WCAG 2.1 AA compliance
- Hiring an independent accessibility consultant
- Training staff on accessibility
- Establishing ongoing monitoring procedures
- Reporting progress to the DOJ
Private Lawsuits
Individuals can file private lawsuits under the ADA against municipalities. While plaintiffs can't recover monetary damages under Title II, they can obtain injunctive relief (court orders requiring compliance) and attorney's fees. These fees often exceed $50,000 even for straightforward cases.
Risk Factors for Illinois Municipalities
Certain factors increase lawsuit risk:
- PDF documents without accessibility tagging
- Videos without captions
- Online forms that can't be completed with a keyboard
- Poor color contrast
- Missing alt text on images
- Inaccessible third-party widgets (payment portals, calendars)
Common Accessibility Issues on Municipal Websites
Through our audits of Illinois municipal websites, we consistently identify these common problems:
PDF Accessibility
Many municipalities scan paper documents and post them as image-based PDFs. These are completely inaccessible to screen reader users. Even native PDFs often lack proper heading structure, reading order, and alternative text.
Solution: Create accessible PDFs from the source document, add proper tags, or provide HTML alternatives for important documents.
Missing Alternative Text
Images convey important information on municipal websites—department head photos, infographics, maps, and more. Without alt text, blind users miss this content entirely.
Solution: Add descriptive alt text to all meaningful images. Use empty alt attributes (alt="") for purely decorative images.
Inaccessible Online Forms
Utility payment forms, permit applications, and contact forms often lack proper labels, error messaging, and keyboard navigation.
Solution: Ensure all form fields have associated labels, provide clear error messages, and test all forms with keyboard-only navigation.
Video Content Without Captions
Municipal meetings, promotional videos, and instructional content often lack captions, excluding deaf and hard-of-hearing residents.
Solution: Add captions to all video content. Many video platforms now offer automatic captioning that can be edited for accuracy.
Poor Color Contrast
Text that doesn't have sufficient contrast against its background is difficult or impossible for users with low vision to read.
Solution: Use contrast checking tools to verify at least 4.5:1 contrast for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
Creating an Accessibility Plan
Compliance isn't a one-time project—it requires ongoing commitment. Here's a framework for Illinois municipalities:
Phase 1: Assessment (1-2 months)
Conduct a comprehensive accessibility audit of your current website. This should include:
- Automated testing using tools like WAVE, axe, or Lighthouse
- Manual testing with screen readers and keyboard navigation
- Review of PDF documents and multimedia content
- Third-party widget evaluation
Consider engaging an accessibility specialist for a thorough assessment.
Phase 2: Prioritized Remediation (3-6 months)
Address issues in priority order:
- Critical barriers that prevent access to essential services
- High-impact issues affecting many users or pages
- Medium issues that create significant usability problems
- Minor issues that should be addressed but have less impact
Phase 3: Ongoing Compliance
Accessibility must be maintained continuously:
- Train all content editors on accessibility basics
- Establish accessibility review as part of content publishing workflow
- Conduct periodic audits (quarterly or annually)
- Address new issues promptly
- Stay informed about evolving standards and regulations
Training Your Team
Staff training is essential for maintaining accessibility. Different roles need different training:
Content Editors
- Writing alt text
- Creating accessible PDFs
- Using heading structures properly
- Adding captions to videos
- Testing with keyboard navigation
IT Staff
- Accessibility testing tools and techniques
- Evaluating third-party products for accessibility
- Implementing accessible templates
- Monitoring and reporting
Leadership
- Understanding legal obligations
- Allocating resources for accessibility
- Incorporating accessibility into procurement requirements
Accessibility as an Opportunity
While compliance is important, accessibility benefits everyone in your community:
Older Residents: Many age-related conditions affect technology use. Accessible websites serve the growing senior population.
Mobile Users: Accessibility features often improve mobile usability for all users.
Search Engine Optimization: Accessible websites typically perform better in search results because many accessibility practices align with SEO best practices.
Community Trust: Demonstrating commitment to serving all residents builds trust and engagement.
Resources for Illinois Municipalities
Several resources can help Illinois municipalities improve website accessibility:
- Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities: Provides disability awareness resources
- Great Lakes ADA Center: Regional resource for ADA compliance assistance
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative: Technical resources and guidelines
- Access Board: Federal agency with accessibility guidance
Taking Action
Website accessibility compliance is achievable for Illinois municipalities of all sizes. The key is starting now, prioritizing high-impact issues, and building accessibility into your ongoing operations.
At CivicSitePro, we specialize in helping Illinois municipalities build accessible, user-friendly websites. Whether you need a comprehensive accessibility audit, staff training, or a complete website redesign with accessibility built in from the start, our team understands the unique needs of local government.
Don't wait for a complaint or lawsuit to address accessibility. Request a free accessibility audit of your municipal website today, or schedule a consultation to discuss your compliance strategy.