Columbus departments received a recurring accessibility update dated Sept. 21, 2026, outlining a compliance push for digital services.
According to the bulletin, web and mobile applications must conform to WCAG 2.1 AA standards by April 26, 2027. Each resident-facing application's service owner is responsible for accessibility and for holding an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR).
The ADA Digital Accessibility leadership group is launching an effort to identify which applications need to comply, monitor progress, and create a central location for vendor VPAT/ACR documents. Details are scheduled for an Oct. 20 presentation at the IT Partner's meeting, the bulletin states.
Guidance calls on staff to request vendor VPAT/ACR documentation, verify that reports are current and note which WCAG standards were measured, and retain copies. The bulletin cautions that vendor documents alone do not establish compliance and that partially or non-compliant items should be identified. It also advises engaging vendors on remediation plans, updating application templates where needed, running manual checks and scans, and adding accessibility requirements to purchase and renewal contracts.
A new milestone targets a Silktide accessibility score of 80% plus meaningful link text by Dec. 31, 2026. Departments missing that benchmark must join weekly Office Hours on Accessibility until they reach it. The bulletin also references an earlier 70% score and no-broken-links benchmark by Labor Day, with the same office-hours requirement.
Other directions include submitting TechDesk tickets for third-party websites, ensuring new online content and social media posts meet requirements, and not relying on prior undue-burden exceptions; a new submission process is to restart in the first quarter of 2027.
Questions about what must comply go to ADAhelp@columbus.gov; questions about how go to techdesk@columbus.gov, per the bulletin. Office hours are Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to noon via Webex.