Digital accessibility policy

Purpose

Hennepin County is committed to making digital content and products usable for everyone, including people who live with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments.

Hennepin County strives to conform to, enhance, and build on county, state, and federal accessibility laws, policies, guidelines, and best practices.

This policy outlines expectations for digital accessibility awareness and directs individuals to incorporate accessibility into their work.

It also aligns with the county's disparity reduction goals with its strategic focus on delivering remote services to the public through technology and digital service delivery models.

Scope

Digital content should be accessible to the public. This includes websites, kiosks, social media, and mobile applications (collectively referred to as digital content).

This policy applies to all individuals who create, manage, or purchase digital content, including third-party vendors.

Policy statement

By April 24, 2026, all new Hennepin County digital content accessible to the public will meet or exceed all Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA standards.

Any digital content not currently meeting these should be identified and placed on a prioritization list.

Staff

Staff who create, manage, or acquire digital products are responsible for the following:

• ensuring compliance with WCAG 2.1, Level AA standards or placing non-compliant digital content on a prioritization list to be shared with the digital accessibility coordinator.
• evaluating third-party tools for compliance with WCAG 2.1, Level AA Standards.
• acquiring and maintaining a foundational understanding of accessibility and its relevance to their role.

Supervisors/Managers

Not applicable.

Departments

In partnership with the Department of Digital Experience, each department will:

• comply with this policy by ensuring that all departmental digital content adheres to WCAG 2.1, Level AA standards or that non-compliant content is added to a prioritization list that is shared with the digital accessibility coordinator.
• provide all departmental staff that build, manage, or acquire digital content with the necessary support and training to fulfill their responsibilities related to their roles to meet accessibility standards.
• inform digital accessibility coordinator of complaints related to digital accessibility and collaborate with the coordinator to develop an appropriate response.

Developers and designers (front-end, back-end, quality assurance, visual, content, user experience, user interface, etc.) must comply with county digital accessibility and brand standards. They may also use county design and writing guidelines to ensure consistent digital experiences. They will consult with the Department of Digital Experience if they need additional support.

Project team members (business analysts, project managers, product owners, user experience specialists, communicators, program representatives, etc.) must communicate accessibility requirements, keep teams accountable for building accessible digital products, and ensure accessibility is built into a project workflow. They will consult with the Department of Digital Experience for guidance and support.

Area/Department with specific policy responsibilities

Not applicable.

Responsibilities for Area/Department that owns the policy

Department of Digital Experience

The Department of Digital Experience will:

• support all departments' websites and web applications to meet the digital accessibility policy.
• dedicate a digital accessibility coordinator to support policy implementation.
• manage and communicate this policy to departments.
• maintain an accessible Hennepin County design system.

The digital accessibility coordinator will:

• develop and provide oversight for the creation of procedures to meet this policy including a formal complaint process for the public or staff to report digital accessibility issues.
• guide selection of training and resources for departments and staff.
• partner with and consult departments and staff about this policy, training resources, and digitally accessible solutions.
• coordinate compliance with this policy.
• advocate for use of the Hennepin County design system.

Definitions

Digital accessibility

The practice of making digital content and products usable for everyone, including people who live with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments.

Digital content

Any information, media, or material that is created, shared, or distributed in a digital format, including text, images, videos, audio files, and interactive elements found on websites, mobile applications, social media platforms, kiosk content, or other digital platforms. It also includes electronic documents available on these digital platforms such as PDF documents, word processor files, presentations, spreadsheets, and other digital file formats.

Digital product

A service or technology that delivers an experience through electronic devices.

Digital experience (DX)

Resident and user interactions made possible through technology including a website, web form, online survey, online chat, phone, and social media.

WCAG 2.1, Level AA

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a set of internationally recognized standards designed to ensure digital content is accessible to people with disabilities. Each time WCAG is updated to stay current with technological changes, a new version is created, and the county follows version 2.1 which includes mobile devices and tablets. Level AA standards address the most common barriers for users and serve as the minimum requirement for compliance with ADA regulations for digital content accessible to the public.

Authorities and related information

Related information

• Digital accessibility supports

Authorities

Federal and state disability rights laws affect digital accessibility at the county. The county follows applicable state and federal laws and recommended guidelines, including:

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) including Title II Regulations
• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
• Minnesota Human Rights Act
• Minnesota Statutes Chapter 363A.42 Public Records; Accessibility
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

Procedures