Accessibility & Compliance

Your website is often the first — and only — touchpoint for residents with disabilities. If it’s not accessible, you’re not just breaking the law. You’re breaking your mission.

ADA web accessibility lawsuits are rising

Public sector organizations — including park districts — are increasingly targeted. Non-compliance is no longer a theoretical risk. It’s an active one.

Park districts exist to serve everyone in the community. But a website built without accessibility in mind quietly excludes a significant share of residents — those with visual impairments, hearing loss, motor disabilities, or cognitive challenges. Beyond the legal exposure, that’s a mission failure.

The four WCAG pillars, explained plainly

ADA compliance for websites means meeting WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards. These break down into four requirements — each with a practical implication for your site.

Perceivable
Content must be usable by all senses. Alt text on images, captions on videos, proper heading structure.

Operable
Everything must work without a mouse. Keyboard nav, no time traps, clear menus.

Understandable
Plain language, consistent layouts, clear form instructions residents can actually follow.

Robust
Works across screen readers, assistive devices, and different browsers without breaking.

The most common failures on park district websites

Most accessibility gaps aren’t intentional — they’re oversights that compound over time as content is added without a consistent standard.

  • Images without alt text — screen readers hit a wall (High risk)
  • Poor color contrast — unreadable for low-vision users (High risk)
  • Navigation that only works with a mouse (High risk)
  • Inaccessible PDFs — registration forms, schedules (Medium)
  • Videos without captions (Medium)
  • Inconsistent site structure confusing assistive tools (Medium)

Reactive vs proactive: the cost difference is significant

Reactive — after a complaint

  • Legal fees and potential settlements
  • Emergency site rebuilds at premium cost
  • Reputational damage in the community
  • Forced timelines, no planning

Proactive — audit and fix now

  • Lower upfront investment, no urgency premium
  • Better UX for all residents, not just edge cases
  • Legal protection from day one
  • Continuous monitoring keeps you covered

Check your site in the next 30 minutes

Automated tools catch roughly 30–40% of issues. Manual review is still essential — but this checklist is a fast starting point.

Accessibility quick-check
  • Run an automated scanner (e.g. WAVE, axe DevTools) (Tool)
  • Tab through your homepage — can you reach every link without a mouse? (Manual)
  • Check every image for descriptive alt text (Manual)
  • Test color contrast on body text and buttons (4.5:1 minimum) (Tool)
  • Open your registration PDF — is it screen-reader readable? (Manual)
  • Check any videos for closed captions (Manual)
  • Test on mobile with font size set to largest available (Both)

Not sure where your site stands?

SmartRoots offers a free accessibility audit — a clear picture of your current gaps, risk areas, and what to fix first.

Get Your Free Audit

No cost. No commitment. Just a clear answer.