Digital Accessibility Resources

Digital accessibility involves more than websites. It includes documents, applications, videos, online services, technology procurement, internal processes, and other ways public bodies share information and deliver services electronically.

VaLGITE will update this page with new guidance, resources, and educational opportunities.

VaLGITE Lunch & Learn — August 27, 2026

On August 27, 2026, VaLGITE hosted Building Accessible Digital Government, presented by Chris Coleman, eGovernment Services Manager for Chesterfield County.

Chris introduced the fundamentals of digital accessibility, reviewed changing accessibility requirements that affect public bodies, and described Chesterfield County’s work to make its digital services more accessible and user-centered.

The session covered:

Why digital accessibility matters in local government

The Americans with Disabilities Act and changing accessibility requirements

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The four principles of accessible content: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust

Designing websites and digital content for people who use assistive technology

Color contrast and other visual accessibility considerations

Closed captions, transcripts, and accessible video

Challenges with PDF documents and document remediation

Moving information from PDFs into accessible web content where appropriate

Mobile-first and user-centered design

Accessibility governance and organizational leadership

Accessibility in technology procurement

Ways for members of the public to report accessibility barriers

Staff awareness, training, and building accessibility into everyday work

Chris also described Chesterfield County’s accessibility work, including efforts to reduce the number of PDF documents on its website and improve the accessibility of its digital content.

Session Resources
Presentation Slides
Download Chris Coleman’s Building Accessible Digital Government presentation - Power Point Format

Download Chris Coleman's Building Accessible Digital Government presentation - PDF Format

Session Recording
Link to watch the August 27, 2026, Lunch & Learn recording: https://youtu.be/AWQGMqYmJsc

Transcript
View or download an accessible transcript of the session - Coming Soon

National Association of Government Web Professionals (NAGW)

Link to the NAGW site: https://nagw.org/

NAGW Accessibility Hub - Lots of resources for your accessibility journey: https://nagw.org/DOJ_Rule_Resource_Library

Digital Accessibility Guidance and Resources

The resources below can help local governments understand accessibility requirements and assess their digital services.

Federal Accessibility Resources
U.S. Department of Justice: ADA.gov.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are internationally recognized technical standards for making digital content more accessible to people with disabilities.
WCAG 2.1 Guidelines

Virginia Accessibility Requirements

Virginia has established accessibility requirements that affect public bodies and their use and procurement of information and communications technology.

Local governments should understand the requirements that apply to areas such as:

Websites and digital content

Electronic documents

Software and online applications

Technology procurement

Vendor accessibility documentation

Procedures for reporting accessibility barriers

Organizational responsibility for accessibility

Virginia Information Technology Access Act
Virginia Accessibility Requirements / HB 2541 Information

Questions Raised During the August 27 Session
The first Lunch & Learn raised several topics for further discussion:

Training employees who create or publish digital content

Applying accessibility requirements beyond public-facing websites

Addressing inaccessible third-party technology

Using vendor accessibility roadmaps appropriately

Accessibility of GIS and online mapping applications

Accessibility of internal SharePoint sites and other internal systems

Video accessibility and audio descriptions

Converting or remediating existing documents

Funding and grant opportunities for accessibility improvements

VaLGITE Digital Accessibility — Part 2
Coming Soon
Based on the August 27 Lunch & Learn discussion, VaLGITE is planning a follow-up session on additional digital accessibility topics.

The session may cover:

Staff training and awareness
Organizational governance and responsibility
Virginia and federal accessibility requirements
Procurement and vendor management
Accessibility of applications and specialized systems
Lessons learned by Virginia local governments
Questions and challenges raised by VaLGITE members

VaLGITE will post the date, format, and registration or connection details here when they are available.

Help Build This Resource
Virginia local governments are at different stages of accessibility work.

If you have policies, procedures, training materials, procurement language, tools, implementation experience, or other resources that you are willing to share, we encourage you to contact your regional representative or a VaLGITE Board Member.

Disclaimer
The information and resources on this page are provided for educational and informational purposes only. VaLGITE does not provide legal advice. Including a resource or discussing a particular approach does not mean that approach meets legal or regulatory requirements. Organizations should consult qualified legal counsel and authoritative federal and state guidance when determining their responsibilities.