Cheyenne County hears presentation on ADA website rules, staff recommends government-focused vendor

County staff presented the board with an overview of federal and technical accessibility requirements for government websites and recommended moving to a government-focused website vendor to document and remediate compliance issues.

According to staff, the county must meet WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards and cited compliance dates in 2026 and 2027. Staff warned that failing to secure accessibility would expose the county to ADA complaints that can lead to further legal or administrative actions. "Our current website is not compliant," a staff member said while summarizing the operational burden of audits, monitoring and technical remediation.

Staff recommended contracting with a vendor that specializes in government websites, citing Civics Plus as one possible provider. The presenter said a migration and documentation process would likely take six months or more and emphasized the need for technical accessibility audits and ongoing maintenance. The presenter also said current hosting providers may require substantial time and work to bring existing sites into compliance.

A commissioner proposed a motion to contract with Civics Plus for a one-time amount of $4,664. The meeting transcript records the proposed motion but does not contain a recorded second or a final vote on that specific procurement during the portion provided. Commissioners asked staff to collect quotes, run demos with vendors and document proactive remediation steps to show the county is working toward compliance.

What happens next: Staff will obtain additional quotes and demos for government-focused website vendors, prepare documentation of remediation steps, and report back to the board for a formal procurement decision or contract authorization.