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San Juan County discusses $15,000 ADA website audit amid concerns about unfunded state mandate
Summary
County officials reviewed an accessibility audit for the county website, heard cost concerns and described the work needed to meet a state accessibility deadline that commissioners said mirrors a federal requirement arriving in 2026.
San Juan County commissioners discussed a proposed accessibility audit and follow-on work to make the county’s website and online documents compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Colorado requirements.
The discussion focused on the scope and cost of the vendor proposal and the county’s limited capacity to complete the work in-house. Commissioners were told the primary audit quoted for county websites was about $15,000, and that follow-on remediation—converting documents and making interactive web elements accessible—would be additional.
The county’s staff described the work as “front-facing” accessibility: ensuring websites and online documents can be read or navigated by assistive technologies, including screen readers and document tagging systems. “Adobe is pretty much set up,” a staff member said during the meeting, adding that “the tougher things are the maps” because map interfaces require additional techniques to be readable by assistive tools.
Commissioners framed the requirement as a state-driven timeline that parallels forthcoming federal guidance. A staff member said the federal government set similar requirements to take effect in 2026, and Colorado chose to require compliance a year earlier. Commissioners repeatedly characterized the mandate as essentially unfunded, noting counties with small staff and budgets bear the implementation costs.
Commissioners and staff raised concerns about the ongoing cost and staffing burden. One elected official said counties with two- or three-person departments may need full-time accessibility support to stay compliant. A staff member replied the vendor proposal will do conversion and remediation as well as provide a report that can guide the county’s continued work.
No formal action was taken during the meeting; staff said they would follow up with the vendor, clarify deliverables (audit only vs. conversion work), and report back to the board with a recommended procurement path and a clearer cost estimate.
Why it matters: Public-facing websites and electronic documents are increasingly part of government recordkeeping and constituent service. Small jurisdictions often lack dedicated accessibility resources but face statutory timelines for compliance. As the county progresses from audit to remediation, decisions on scope, budget and phasing will affect other near-term budget priorities.
