City communications director outlines timeline, costs and risks for ADA web accessibility
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Summary
Communications Director Savannah Uhlinger told the commission the city is implementing web- and communications-accessibility measures after a 2024 DOJ ruling, using remediation software and plain-language standards, and planning captioning and PDF remediation ahead of an April 2027 deadline for smaller municipalities.
Savannah Uhlinger, the city’s director of communications, updated the Madison City Commission on the city’s work to meet accessibility requirements for web content, documents and communications.
Uhlinger cited Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act as the legal bases that require government programs and communications to be accessible; she also referenced a 2024 Department of Justice communication that clarified web content requirements. “We have a long path in front of us,” Uhlinger said, describing efforts underway to remediate documents, adopt accessible brand standards and convert PDF forms into web-based forms where possible.
The city has implemented several first steps: staff education, plain‑language writing guidelines, accessible brand standards (fonts, contrast and sizing), an equal-opportunity statement on public materials, and an audio‑eye accessibility widget on the website. Uhlinger said the city purchased remediation software (CommonLook) and is training staff to use it, but licensing and the workload present resource challenges: CommonLook’s single‑user license costs several thousand dollars and remediation takes staff time.
A major remaining issue is captioning for recorded meetings and videos: Uhlinger said automatically generated captions are not compliant because they can omit speaker identification and make transcription errors. The city is investigating cost-effective captioning options for smaller municipalities and plans phased implementation; smaller jurisdictions like Madison have until April 2027 to be in full compliance.
Commissioners asked about enforcement and penalties. Uhlinger said noncompliance can lead to fines and the risk of losing federal funding tied to Section 504 obligations, but noted the city recently passed an audit/review and is not currently at risk. “Because we are recipients of federal funding, we have to be in compliance, and we risk losing those federal funding dollars if we are not,” she said.
Next steps: Uhlinger said the communications office will continue one-on-one training with departments, use remediation tools, convert forms to web-based alternatives where feasible, and coordinate citywide standards to make social media, flyers and documents accessible.
