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ADA Compliance

Hanover School District 28 - Digital Accessibility Compliance
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Hanover School District 28
Digital Accessibility Compliance Plan

Small Rural District Advantage

Nimble decision-making • Strong community relationships • Focused implementation

Federal Deadline: April 26, 2027 (Small District)

Colorado Deadline: July 1, 2025

"In small districts like ours, accessibility improvements benefit not just students, but the entire community that depends on our digital services"

Legal Requirements for Small Rural Districts

Small districts (<50,000 population) represent over half of all U.S. school districts

Federal ADA Title II

Deadline: April 26, 2027

Small districts get an extra year vs. large districts (2026)

Standard: WCAG 2.1 Level AA

Colorado HB21-1110

Deadline: July 1, 2025

Applies to ALL Colorado districts regardless of size

Penalty: $3,500 per violation

🏆 Small District Advantages:

  • Agility: Less bureaucracy = faster decision-making and implementation
  • Relationships: Stronger stakeholder connections for support
  • Focus: Fewer websites and systems to remediate
  • Community: Parents and community members willing to volunteer

Grace Period Strategy (Until July 1, 2025)

🚨 Immediate Actions (Next 30 Days)

  • Publish accessibility statement on district website
  • Provide 2 contact methods (phone + email, NOT web-only)
  • Begin technology inventory
Through July 2025

Grace Period Option: Demonstrate "good faith efforts" vs. full compliance

July 1, 2025 & Beyond

Full Compliance Required: No more grace period options

April 26, 2027

Federal Deadline: Additional time for small districts

Smart Strategy: Use grace period to build toward federal deadline - kill two birds with one stone

WCAG 2.1 Made Simple for Hanover

1. PERCEIVABLE

For Hanover:

  • Add descriptions to all photos
  • Ensure sufficient color contrast
  • Caption any videos

2. OPERABLE

For Hanover:

  • Make sure everything works with keyboard
  • No flashing content
  • Clear navigation

3. UNDERSTANDABLE

For Hanover:

  • Use plain language
  • Clear form labels
  • Consistent layout

4. ROBUST

For Hanover:

  • Work with screen readers
  • Valid HTML code
  • Compatible across browsers

Hanover's Technology Assessment

Primary Digital Assets to Review:

  • District Website: Main site + any school subsites
  • Parent/Student Portal: Grades, attendance, communications
  • Learning Management System: Online classroom platform
  • Communication Tools: Mass notification systems, newsletters
  • Online Forms: Registration, applications, surveys
  • Documents: PDFs, handbooks, policies
  • Third-Party Apps: Any educational software or services

🎯 Quick Assessment Questions:

  • Can you navigate your website using only the Tab key?
  • Do all images have meaningful descriptions?
  • Can you read all text clearly without straining?
  • Are form fields clearly labeled?
  • Do videos have captions?

Cost-Effective Implementation Strategy

Estimated Costs for Small Districts:

Initial Accessibility Audit $3,000 - $8,000
Basic Website Remediation $2,000 - $5,000
Staff Training $1,000 - $3,000
Ongoing Monitoring Tools $500 - $2,000/year

💰 Budget-Friendly Strategies:

  • Consortium Approach: Partner with neighboring rural districts to share costs
  • Grant Funding: IDEA, Title I, AT Act grants may cover accessibility improvements
  • Vendor Negotiations: Require accessibility in existing contracts
  • Phased Implementation: Spread costs over multiple budget years
  • Community Volunteers: Tech-savvy parents can help with content audits

Managing Vendors with Limited Resources

Essential Vendor Questions

  • "Do you have a current VPAT?"
  • "Is it specifically for WCAG 2.1 Level AA?"
  • "Who pays if your product isn't compliant?"
  • "Can you train our staff on accessibility features?"

Contract Language Samples

"Vendor shall ensure all digital products meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards and provide current VPAT documentation."

"Any accessibility violations resulting in legal action shall be vendor's responsibility for remediation costs."

Small District Leverage Points:

  • Collective Purchasing: Join with other rural districts
  • Long-term Relationships: Use loyalty as negotiating power
  • Simple Requirements: Fewer custom features = easier compliance
  • Local Vendors: Community connections may mean better service

Hanover's 18-Month Action Plan

Months 1-3 (Immediate)

Foundation Building: Accessibility statement, contact methods, staff awareness training, begin inventory

Months 4-6 (Assessment)

Deep Dive: Complete technology audit, collect VPATs, identify quick wins, create remediation plan

Months 7-12 (Implementation)

Core Fixes: Website remediation, vendor negotiations, staff training, document conversions

Months 13-18 (Refinement)

Final Push: Advanced fixes, monitoring systems, policy updates, federal deadline prep

Hanover Advantage: With focused effort, small districts can often complete accessibility improvements faster than large districts with complex bureaucracies

Most Common Issues in Small District Websites

🔴 High Priority Fixes

  • Missing alt text on photos (sports, events, staff)
  • Poor color contrast (often school colors aren't accessible)
  • PDF documents that can't be read by screen readers
  • Generic link text ("click here", "read more")

🟡 Medium Priority

  • Form labels not properly connected
  • Heading structure (using formatting instead of proper headings)
  • Keyboard navigation issues in menus
  • Auto-playing videos without controls

🟢 Lower Priority

  • Complex data tables
  • Advanced form validation
  • Mobile app accessibility
  • Advanced multimedia features

✅ Quick Wins for Hanover (Can do this week!):

  • Add alt text to homepage images
  • Fix "click here" links to be descriptive
  • Increase text size on hard-to-read pages
  • Add captions to any existing videos

Leveraging Hanover's Community Strength

Small Town Advantage: Everyone Knows Everyone

Use this strength to build accessibility awareness and support

Community Engagement Ideas

  • Host "Accessibility Awareness Night" for parents
  • Partner with local senior centers (many have accessibility needs)
  • Engage high school students in web accessibility projects
  • Connect with community members who have disabilities
  • Use social media to share accessibility improvements

Building Internal Support

  • Share success stories from other rural districts
  • Emphasize legal protection and risk reduction
  • Connect to district values of serving all students
  • Highlight community pride in being inclusive
  • Show how accessibility often improves usability for everyone
Remember: In small communities, accessibility improvements for one family benefits the whole community's perception of the district

Hanover's Accessibility Progress to Date

✅ Excellent Foundation Already Established!

Hanover SD 28 has proactively begun accessibility compliance work

🎉 Already Completed

  • Accessibility Statement Published (Updated 8/13/2024)
  • WCAG 2.1 Commitment clearly stated
  • Contact Information - Lori Underwood designated
  • User Feedback System - Website Update Form
  • Accommodation Process - Formal request system
  • Compliance Plan - Documented and linked
  • Regular Audits - Assessment process established
  • Translation Resources - Multilingual support

📋 Technical Standards Addressed

  • ✅ Text alternatives for images
  • ✅ Keyboard navigation capabilities
  • ✅ Color contrast considerations
  • ✅ Descriptive headings structure
  • ✅ Clear link descriptions

🏆 Hanover's Leadership Position

Ahead of the Curve: Most small rural districts haven't started accessibility work yet. Hanover is already demonstrating proactive compliance leadership in Colorado!

Next Steps: Building on Your Success

🚀 Immediate Enhancements (Next 30 Days)

  • Expand compliance plan - Add timeline and specific milestones
  • Test current implementations - Verify keyboard navigation works site-wide
  • Document vendor VPATs - Collect from all current technology providers
  • Staff training - Train content creators on accessibility basics

📅 Next 60-90 Days

  • Enhance feedback system - Add specific accessibility reporting features
  • Advanced testing - Use screen readers to test your current site
  • Document improvements - Track remediation progress for quarterly reports
  • Community engagement - Share accessibility improvements with parents

🌟 Leveraging Current Success

Leadership: Having a designated accessibility contact puts Hanover ahead of most rural districts

Existing Processes: Your accommodation request system and user feedback forms provide excellent foundation

Proactive Approach: Regular audits mentioned in your statement show commitment to continuous improvement

Resources & Support Network

Colorado-Specific Support

  • Colorado OIT Accessibility Guide
  • BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services)
  • Colorado Association of School Boards
  • Rural School Districts Consortium

Federal Resources

  • ADA.gov Small Entity Compliance Guide
  • Department of Education Technical Assistance
  • W3C WCAG Guidelines
  • WebAIM Training Materials

Rural-Specific Support

  • Rural Education Cooperative Service Units
  • State university extension services
  • Regional education consortiums
  • Rural technology grant programs

Funding Opportunities

  • IDEA Enhancement Funds
  • Title I Improvement Funds
  • Assistive Technology Act Grants
  • Rural Education Achievement Funds

Key Contacts for Hanover SD 28

Internal Lead: Lori Underwood - lunderwood@hanoverhornets.org

Colorado OIT: accessibility@state.co.us

Local BOCES: Tim Creech – tcreech@hanoverhornets.org

Current Systems: Website updates & accommodations already in place

"Leading by Example:" Hanover SD 28 has already demonstrated proactive accessibility leadership. Your existing foundation positions you perfectly to meet both Colorado and federal compliance deadlines while serving as a model for other rural districts.