The Colonial School District Curriculum Committee received an overview of the Department of Justice's 2024 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the district's plan to meet a compliance date of April 24, 2027. Staff said the guidelines align with the Americans with Disabilities Act and set technical standards for public websites and mobile applications to improve access for people with disabilities.

Staff said the district has identified about 180 applications in current use and has begun notifying major vendors, receiving confirmations from BoardDocs, Canvas, PowerSchool and Microsoft that those vendors are mapping work toward compliance. The district plans to add accessibility requirements into vendor selection and contract-review processes and to expand an internal technology/accessibility committee to oversee implementation.

Committee members raised questions about whether the rules apply to hardware or only software; staff confirmed the guidelines cited apply to websites and apps but said the district already addresses hardware and assistive-device needs through existing special education and assistive-technology teams. The committee discussed timing for posting time-sensitive items (for example, event photos on social media) and was told the district intends to post timely content and then remediate metadata such as alternative text as quickly as practicable; chronic, pervasive failures to provide access would be the enforcement concern.

Staff noted planned professional learning days, a standing district technology committee and membership in a regional intermediate unit (MCIU) that is coordinating resources. The district estimated it falls below the 50,000-population threshold that would have accelerated an earlier compliance timetable. No formal action or vote took place.