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Miami County staff recommend AudioEye tool after site audit shows 66% ADA compliance
Summary
County administration presented results of a CivicPlus site audit and recommended adding AudioEye monitoring and remediation services to improve web accessibility; estimated incremental annual cost for AudioEye is $4,500 and CivicPlus contract projections add about 5% to current fees.
Miami County administration reported that the county website is "a little over 66%" compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) web guidelines and recommended adding AudioEye, a monitoring and remediation tool used by their website vendor CivicPlus.
Mackenzie Owens, administration, told commissioners that CivicPlus performed an automated diagnostic and that AudioEye provides two layers of service: continuous automated monitoring and human reviewers who test accessibility features. "They will fix anything on our website that has to do with the ADA guidelines," Owens said, while noting the company cannot directly change PDF content and will instead report needed fixes for the county to update.
Owens said AudioEye would also add a visible toolkit on the county website — an icon visitors can use to change text size, font, contrast and other display features — and provide a trusted certification badge signaling the county is actively monitoring accessibility.
Owens gave commissioners numbers from the vendor: CivicPlus charged $12,278.59 last year for hosting and modules; CivicPlus estimates a 5% increase on renewal would raise that core charge to about $12,892.52, and adding AudioEye alone would cost an additional $4,500 annually. CivicPlus previously provided an ADA-compliant site on publication, she said, but the contract places responsibility for content updates on the county.
Commissioners asked whether the county is legally required to meet ADA standards online; Owens said the county is covered by the ADA provisions that address local governments and that the tool is intended to help meet those obligations. Commissioners also questioned whether competitive alternatives are available and whether CivicPlus should offer discounts; Owens said other tools exist but that AudioEye is more automated and that the company suggested the 5% estimate for renewal.
The county administration placed the AudioEye option on the agenda for later in the day for formal consideration and recommended it be added to the CivicPlus contract when that contract renews in September 2025.
Why it matters: County web content is the primary channel for public documents such as minutes, agendas and special-election material. Administration recommended the monitoring tool to reduce legal and service risk for residents who rely on screen readers or other assistive technology.
What's next: Administration will present the vendor proposal for a decision at the afternoon meeting and, if approved, add the service to the CivicPlus contract at renewal.
