PLACEMENT: Departmental
TITLE:
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AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) TITLE II DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY COMPLIANCE UPDATE AND UNFUNDED MANDATE BUDGET REQUEST
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
executive summary
The U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) new ADA Title II Final Rule requires all County digital content to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards by April 2026. As this is an unfunded mandate, Martin County requests additional funds for accessibility upgrades, training, and compliance support.
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DEPARTMENT: Administration
PREPARED BY: Name: Stephanie Merle
Title: Director of the Office of Management & Budget
REQUESTED BY: Don Donaldson, County Administrator and George Stokus, Assistant County Administrator
PRESET:
PROCEDURES: None
BACKGROUND/RELATED STRATEGIC GOAL:
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a new regulation under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that directly affects all state and local governments, including Martin County. This rule requires that all government websites, mobile applications, documents, and other digital communications be accessible to individuals with disabilities.
The DOJ adopted the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA as the national standard. These guidelines ensure that digital content can be used by people who rely on screen readers, captions, keyboard navigation, or other assistive technologies. The goal is for all residents-regardless of physical, sensory, or cognitive ability-to have equal access to the County's online services and information.
For Martin County, which serves a population of more than 50,000, the federal compliance deadline is April 24, 2026. At that point, all County digital content-including websites, online forms, PDF materials, social media posts, videos, and mobile tools-must meet these accessibility standards.
This requirement is an unfunded federal mandate. It will require staff time, technical assessments, and possibly outsid...
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