County staff outline ADA website changes required by new rule; vendor plugin estimated at $11,300 annually

County Administrator Anita Speckman told the Executive Committee on Sept. 17 that a new Americans with Disabilities Act rule will require changes to county websites for governments serving more than 50,000 people, with compliance effective April 24, 2026. "It is effective 04/24/2026, and there are changes that must occur to our website to make it ADA compliant in terms of visibility," Speckman said, noting the county learned of the requirement from attorneys associated with the county's insurance carrier and from peer circuit clerks. Speckman said the county is locked into its current hosting vendor, CivicPlus, and that the vendor has offered a widget/plugin to meet the accessibility requirement. "There is a solution, and it will cost an additional $11,300 a year," she said, adding that the county will receive a first‑year credit of about 50 percent. She said the county will attempt to reduce ongoing costs by eliminating unused subscriptions and by shifting the circuit clerk's ARPA page into the county's widget so the clerk can pick up part of the cost. Speckman also reported IT staff found that the Windows 11 upgrade includes accessibility tools that reduce some vendor costs, and she instructed staff to proceed with a plan to implement the vendor solution before the April 2026 deadline. The committee did not take formal procurement action at the meeting; Speckman said the host company will perform the plugin work and that the county will seek ways to keep the recurring cost manageable.