Accessibility Quarterly Report 9/30/2024

This report is a summary of initiatives and progress made on achieving digital accessibility for all. The mission of 27J Schools is, in partnership with families and the community, to empower every student today to take control of their future tomorrow. There is more work to be done, but the entire district is strongly committed to ensuring digital materials and education are made accessible for all.

Overview

The majority of 27J public-facing website content is currently accessible. 27J recently migrated all district and school websites to the Finalsite school platform, which utilizes accessibility overlay tools and checks to bolster accessibility. Remaining challenges relate to third-party software providers, staff training, implementation of standardized testing and mitigation processes, and review of purchasing to ensure vendor compliance.

Progress to Date

Since HB 21-1110 passed, 27J has taken specific steps to ensure web content is accessible to all users. Highlights include:

1. Hiring a new Web Accessibility and Support Specialist to bring existing digital assets into compliance, and direct future training for district and school staff to incorporate accessibility into planning for all online content, purchasing, and digital accommodations.
2. Initiating site content rules to prevent users from uploading content that does not meet WCAG 2.1 standards.
3. Updating older content to make it compliant or deleting (e.g., images, pdfs, graphics, etc.).
4. Meeting group established with purchasing leads to institute accessibility compliance rules for all current and future vendors.
5. Planning staff messaging and training campaign to reinforce integration of accessible, Design For All - Accessibility principles into all digital content contributions.
6. Auditing email and communication tools for accessibility, and phasing out non-compliant tools and services.

Next Steps

1. Finalize new accessibility requirements and integrate into purchasing processes; develop strategy to integrate accessibility verification into existing contracts.
2. Develop 27J-specific accessibility training for all web editors.
3. Develop email and document training for all staff.
4. Create acknowledgement of accessibility in 27J district policy.
5. Conduct research and testing to determine best practices for making complex .pdfs accessible; develop a strategy to reconfigure or optimize content which cannot be made fully accessible (e.g., complex maps, financial data tables, etc.).
6. Engage charter partnerships to assess compliance and provide guidance for making materials and content accessible.
7. Pursuant to HB 24-1454, next report to be posted by 2024_12_31.

Communications and Meetings

1. Announcement 9/9 including overview of Accessibility principles, purpose and culture shift, and ‘heads-up’ about upcoming training and compliance requirements for all staff and faculty.
2. Announcement to district leadership 9/23 clarifying role of Web Accessibility Specialist and plans for increasing accessibility of content and upcoming training and compliance requirements for staff.
3. Establishment of regular reports with purchasing for updates on implementation of accessibility considerations into vendor selection and contracts.

Conclusion

27J Schools is committed to addressing all accessibility shortcomings before July 1, 2025, and will post quarterly progress reports where the public may also comment.