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Accessible Technology Enhancement Statement
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (the "Department") develops and maintains a wide range of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The Department's ICT is used not only internally, but by members of the public, contractors, and member jurisdictions. The Department is committed to providing a fully accessible digital user experience for all those that interact with the Department. In accordance with 8 CCR 1501-11, the Department has developed this Accessible Technology Enhancement Plan (ATEP).
This ATEP explains how users with disabilities can improve their browsing experience on the Department's website as well as the continued effort to improve digital accessibility.
April 1, 2024, Status Update:
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. WCAG defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. The Department is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Partially conformant means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard.
The Department continues to actively analyze public-facing aspects of the Department's ICT for compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level A. Where feasible, the Department strives to comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA or Level AAA. As deficiencies are identified, they are added to the continuous workflow of the Department’s software development team. Further, staff continues to review and identify partial and non-complaint aspects of both internal and external ICT.
The Department utilizes numerous third-party vendors to share news and information including but not limited to Facebook, Google, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube. Further, the Department also utilizes specific third-party public-facing software including but not limited to LexisNexis, TimeTap, and UKG. The Department recognizes that the use of third-party software may present challenges for individuals with disabilities. While the Department has no control over these vendors, each third-party vendor has been notified of the requirements of 8 CCR 1501-11. The Department continues to offer the use of AudioEye as a widely accepted accessibly enhancement tool.
AudioEye software also has the ability to scan and analyze each page of the Department's website. This process aids in the identification of content that does not conform to WCAG criteria. These testing results are analyzed by the Department's software development team and cross checked against WCAG 2.1 Level A requirements as a minimum standard. Once a deficiency is identified it is added to the Department's software development list where it is scheduled for review. The Department updates internal and public facing software on a three-week schedule.
AudioEye is also used to assess the current level of accessibility of the Department's website. As of April 1, 2024, the accessibility score for the Department's publicly available portion of the website is 84 out of 100 according to AudioEye. The subscription-based side of the Department's website achieved a score of 89 out of 100. The higher the score, the more accessible the website. This score is a representation of the accessibility level of a website and varies over time as it is influenced by user volume of a website or specific pages of a website. This user driven data is used to prioritize accessibility upgrades to areas of the website with higher volume. After each update to the website, the AudioEye score is reevaluated. The Department will continue to work to achieve the highest feasible accessibility score so as to best serve all who access the Department's digital resources.
Prioritization of accessible content:
As the Department's website receives many thousands of unique visits a year and is utilized by the public, contractors, property owners, and numerous public entities, its accessible content remains a top priority for the Department. The Department utilizes metrics from AudioEye as well as internal data to prioritize accessibility upgrades to content available via all ICT. In general, the Department prioritizes accessible content in the following manner:
- Public-facing aspects of the website to include mobile access and available forms.
- Subscription-based content on the website and public kiosks.
- Digital content (video) accessible via the website.
- Third-party software vendor compliance.
- Internal-facing software developed and hosted by the Department.
Accessible Technology Enhancement Plan:
The Department continues to develop its Accessible Technology Enhancement Plan (ATEP) and will continue to adjust the ATEP as new technology is developed and made available. The Department's software development team is currently undergoing WCAG 2.1/2.2 training. This training, in conjunction with commercially available software, including AudioEye and others, are used to analyze the Department's ICT. Further, as new ICT is created, it is the policy of the Department that the ICT be developed in an accessible format and checked for compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level A as a minimum standard by the testing staff and available software before it is made available to the public. Where possible, the Department strives to develop and update software exceeding the minimum standards of WCAG 2.1 Level A.
The Department anticipates that Priority 1. and 2., as identified above, will be substantially complete by July 1, 2024. As barriers to access are identified, they are added to the workflow process for the software development team. In the event that a barrier is identified by an external user, or a Department staff member utilizing internal ICT, the Department is committed to and will consider all reasonable requests for accommodation or modifications for alternative access in accordance with Title II of the American Disabilities Act until the barrier to accessibility may be remedied.
The Department maintains a vast array of historical data including but not limited to technical drawings, engineering letters, inspection reports, and certificates of occupancy. Over the course of many years, hard copies and microfiche images have been converted to digital images. Some of this data dates to the late 1960s and is of poor quality and may not be discernible to users without disabilities. The Department is not aware of any current technology that will aid in making these historical images accessible. Until such a time that technology is available to assist in the accessibility of these historical images, the Department will consider all reasonable requests for accommodations in accordance with Title II of the American Disabilities Act.
The Department is working toward compliance with Priority 3. and 4. and is confident that Priority 3 will also be substantially complete by July 1, 2024. While the Department is also working toward compliance with Priority 4.; the Department has no control over third party vendors. Where possible, the Department may consider alternate providers for the specific ICT, or may choose to internally develop the accessible ICT. The Department has notified its third-party vendors of the requirements of 8 CCR 1501-11 and is hopeful that each vendor is actively working toward compliance.
Internal facing software that is developed and hosted by the Department (Priority 5.) is the final step in the ATEP and is also the biggest challenge for the Department. Over the course of several decades, the Department has worked to develop its own proprietary operating software known as Building Department Assistant (BDA). BDA is used for all internal operations including but not limited to inspections, plan review, finance, administration, and contractor licensing. Access to BDA is limited to Department employees and is not accessible to the public. Currently this internal software does not meet WCAG 2.1 Level A requirements. As the Department remains focused on enhancing accessibility of all external facing ICT, it is not actively working to enhance the accessibility of BDA. The majority of BDA is written in a .Net framework and utilizes WinForms as its basis for an open-source graphical library. Unlike the Department's public facing websites that are written in C#, it is significantly more difficult to add accessibility options to .Net framework and WinForms software. Further, the Department is not aware of current technology that can identify accessibility deficiencies, test, and analyze proprietary software. In 2024, the Department's software development team will work to better analyze the extent of what is required to make BDA compliant with WCAG guidelines. This information will be used to budget for what the Department anticipates being a multi-year project.
In the event that a barrier is identified by a Department staff member utilizing internal ICT, to include BDA, the Department is committed to and will consider all reasonable requests for accommodation or modifications for alternative access in accordance with Title II of the American Disabilities Act until the barrier to accessibility may be remedied.