Website ADA Guidelines

LCSD1 has adopted a website accessibility policy that establishes minimum standards of web accessibility for individuals with disabilities regarding websites and web pages that are used to conduct LCSD1 business and activities. That includes all web pages served by LCSD1's Content Management System (CMS), as well as all other web pages under the “laramie1.org” domain.

Compliance with the LCSD1's website policy, including the training and use of the accessibility tool, is required of everyone at LCSD1 who develops, maintains and contributes content to the district web pages.

We were recently selected for an Office of Civil Rights website compliance review and are working towards creating and maintaining an ADA compliant website.

• All documents attached to the website must be ADA compliant
• PDF is the preferred type of document to attach to the website
• In the concern for making everything translatable on the website, we have started using Word documents
• We can continue to use either format as long as the document is ADA compliant
• Leadership has asked that no personal work email address be listed on our website due to phishing and more types of attacks.
• All videos must have closed caption or have a transcript. The cc or transcript must be reviewed for content clarity
• All pictures must have ALT text, on the website and any documents that contain images that are attached to the website must have ALT text
• Color contrast must meet ADA requirements. You must know how to use a tool to check this.

Check to make sure websites displays properly on a mobile device since most parents and students access your website that way.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA.

Wherever possible, LCSD1 will aim to adhere to level AA of the WCAG 2.1 guidelines, which states that sites should be:

• Perceivable - Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.
• Operable - User interface components and navigation must be operable.
• Understandable - Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable.
• Robust - Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

As part of our efforts to achieve WCAG 2.1 A A compliance, we use Acquia Web Governance (formerly known as Acquia Optimize) as an ongoing monitoring service.

Report a Technology Accessibility Barrier

If you need to report any issues or barriers you might experience on the website. You can complete this online Technology Accessibility Barrier reporting form.

If you have problems with using or accessing the Technology Accessibility Barrier reporting form, you may contact the Service Desk at Phone: 307-771-2242 (in-district ext.10630) or E-mail: servicedesk@laramie1.org

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines suggest writing at a lower secondary education level, a Level AAA guideline. However, this level of strict compliance may not be suitable for all documents. For instance, content for an advanced college chemistry class may exceed the reading level appropriate for high school freshmen.

• Microsoft - Get your document's readability and level statistics

Color reliance, using hue, shade, tint, or tone as the sole means of conveying information, affects users with color vision deficiency, blindness, and may pose challenges for those with low vision. Blind individuals are inherently color blind, and screen reading software typically doesn't convey colors. Some users with low vision might have difficulty perceiving certain colors and may adjust document colors to enhance visibility based on their preferences.

Three Best Practices
In summary, the top three practices to mitigate color reliance are:

1. Organize your content distinctly.
2. Include text labels.
3. Utilize images with alternative text.

By comprehending the consequences of color-reliant information and adopting these best practices, your documents will be enhanced for users with color vision deficiency, low vision, and blindness.

A simple, well-designed table can make it much easier to understand complex information.

• Watch this video for an overview of Tables

Keeping tables simple ensures accessibility for all users, including those employing screen readers in navigation mode and individuals with neurodiverse conditions (e.g., ADHD, autism, dyslexia).

Avoid posting images of tables, as screen readers may treat them as images, not datasets. Tables should not be used for layout control, as they can disrupt the document or webpage reading order, crucial for screen reader users who rely on sequential information presentation.

A heading preceding a table is a good method for providing users with a description of the table's content.

For most text, WCAG mandates a minimum 4.5:1 contrast, while larger text, like a Word Heading or a PowerPoint slide Title, should have a minimum 3:1 contrast. "Large text" is defined as 18 points or larger, or 14 points and larger if bold.

Poor contrast negatively impacts all sighted users. Users with low vision, color blindness, or reading disabilities may be impacted even more significantly.

• Explore an online color contrast tool provided by a third-party - WebAIM : Contrast Checker