Plymouth County adopts digital accessibility policy, names ADA coordinator

The Plymouth County Commissioners on March 12 adopted a Digital Accessibility & Equity Policy to comply with a Department of Justice mandate requiring Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA for government websites and mobile apps. County Administrator Frank Basler told the board that the county's vendor, Civics Plus, quoted $5,500 for implementation, including a $500 startup fee, and outlined a five-step compliance plan covering site updates, an ADA coordinator, translations, a transition plan and a grievance process.

Commissioner Jared L. Valanzola moved to adopt the policy and Commissioner Gregory M. Hanley seconded; the motion passed unanimously. The board also appointed Christopher Heffernan, County Administrator in Training, as Plymouth County’s Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator by unanimous vote. Basler said the county plans to use its technology fund to cover the implementation costs and noted the compliance deadline reported to the board is April 24, 2026.

Basler described the technical standard and federal obligation: "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA is the technical standard for state and local governments' web content and mobile apps," and he confirmed the county has been meeting with Civics Plus to ensure compliance. The policy establishes a transition plan, grievance process, and language translations (reported as 197 languages) as part of the compliance steps.

Next steps spelled out to the commissioners include the vendor-led site updates, formal appointment of the ADA coordinator to oversee accessibility work, and posting the transition and grievance procedures once finalized. The board did not vote on additional funding beyond the vendor quote during the meeting.