Cole County staff report new tool and remediation plan for ADA digital accessibility

County staff reported progress on an ADA electronic-document remediation effort and outlined next steps at the Cole County Commission’s March 31 meeting.

A county staff member (Speaker 5) told commissioners the county now has a remediation prep program and that staff will start training next week; the presenter said they have already begun using the tool and will track completion across offices, producing periodic reports. The staffer explained that many offices have already remediated the documents they use most often and that public works and the commission office will remain priorities because of the higher volume of agenda and minute documents.

Commissioners asked whether the county had received guidance from state agencies and expressed concern about small counties that lack staff capacity to perform remediation. One commissioner (Speaker 4) said litigation by private attorneys has prompted much of the urgency around compliance; the staffer acknowledged that litigation risk has driven some of the activity but emphasized the county’s plan and that some materials might be temporarily unpublished while remediation proceeds.

Staff said they will identify priority documents, unpublish older materials that are not frequently accessed and bring them back online once remediated, and provide status updates on progress. A commissioner asked for a progress report within a week or two and referenced an April 24 timeline; staff said they are tracking remediation status and will report back.

The transcript records discussion of the federal ADA and how electronic-accessibility expectations have evolved; no formal policy changes or votes were recorded on this item during the meeting.