When local government leaders think of web accessibility, they often think of it as a checkbox on a list of website tasks. But accessibility extends beyond the website itself.
For local governments, ADA web accessibility requirements intersect with another responsibility: managing public records. Board meeting minutes, budgets, policies, and rate schedules must be preserved according to applicable records retention requirements, and when published online, they must also meet applicable accessibility requirements. Simply posting a document online doesn’t mean that residents can find or use the information inside it.
Publishing information as accessible HTML can help local governments meet both needs. Many public records already move through established board administration and publishing workflows. Using HTML as a primary publishing format can make that information easier to access while reducing the need for a separate process to remediate documents after they’re published.
Making Public Records More Accessible and Searchable
Unlike scanned PDFs, properly structured HTML makes information easier for screen readers to read and interpret. Clear headings and other structural elements help residents using assistive technologies navigate content while text can adapt to different screen sizes, making it easier to read on mobile devices. HTML content can also be easier for search engines to crawl and index, enabling residents to discover public information through online searches and other digital tools.
Consider a resident asking their phone when water rates increased. If that information is buried in a scanned PDF, finding it might require downloading and reviewing dozens of pages. When published as accessible HTML, the same information becomes easier for residents to find on their own, potentially eliminating the need for a formal records request.
For municipalities with limited staff and resources, publishing information as accessible HTML can also mean spending less time searching PDFs, extracting information or preparing accessible versions in response to individual requests.
This can be especially valuable for special districts, where a board clerk or secretary may be responsible for managing public records, preparing meeting materials, maintaining the district’s website, and responding to resident inquiries. Publishing frequently requested information as accessible HTML can help these staff members direct residents to information that’s already available, rather than repeatedly locating documents or presenting the same information in different formats.
Historical records offer another example. A district or municipality might have decades of permit records stored as scanned documents. Publishing searchable information from those records in HTML could help residents and staff locate specific dates or details across years of permits without reviewing scanned pages individually.
Making Public Records Accessible for the Long Term
Public records exist so people can understand what their government is doing. A board packet can help residents follow decisions affecting their neighborhoods. A budget shows where tax dollars are going. A rate schedule explains what residents pay for an essential service.
Accessible HTML offers a more adaptable way to publish this information over time. As an open, widely supported web standard, HTML allows information to be displayed on different devices and accessed through different technologies without requiring residents to download a document or use a particular viewer. This flexibility can help local governments keep public information accessible as residents adopt new devices and ways of finding answers.
That doesn’t mean eliminating PDFs. Local leaders can continue using them for finalized documents, board packets, and recordkeeping while publishing accessible HTML versions that make the information easier for residents to read, search, and use. Both formats can work within the same records management process, provided districts meet applicable retention and accessibility requirements.
For example, when an agency publishes an updated policy or other public information, maintaining a current HTML version alongside the official record can give residents a reliable place to find the latest information. Staff can then direct residents to that webpage when responding to routine inquiries, while retaining the underlying record and any required historical versions. This can reduce the need to repeatedly extract or reformat the same information while helping agencies maintain consistency across their public-facing materials.
For older materials, the DOJ web accessibility rule provides an exception for certain archived web content that meets specific criteria, including being kept solely for reference, research, or recordkeeping in a designated archive. Simply moving a document into an archive, however, doesn’t automatically make it exempt.
Important public information shouldn’t get lost inside a PDF. Publishing that information as accessible HTML makes it easier for residents to find answers and can help local government staff respond to requests more efficiently, reducing the need to repeatedly locate, extract, or reformat the same information.
By making this work easier to access and manage, local governments can create more efficient workflows for staff while giving residents greater access to the decisions and services that affect their lives.
Mac Clemmens is the CivicPlus® Senior Vice President of Product Strategy and Innovation and the Co-Founder of DocAccess and Streamline. He is a proud advocate of website accessibility and local government, having presented on the subject at conferences nationwide. He received the prestigious “Vision Award” from Disability Rights California — the nation’s largest disability rights advocacy organization — in recognition of his commitment to creating accessible website experiences for all users. Mac is passionate about helping local governments tell their stories and engage with their communities, ensuring that the fear of ADA noncompliance doesn’t stand in the way.
Photo Credit: Leeloo The First, Pexels
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