Accessibility

Last updated: June 13, 2026

CivicRecordsOnline is built so that everyone — including people who use screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, voice input, screen magnification, and other assistive technology — can submit a public records request, check its status, and download released records. This page describes where we stand and how to tell us if something isn't working.

Our standard: WCAG 2.1 AA

Our target is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. This is the same standard the U.S. Department of Justice's 2024 rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires for the web content state and local governments offer the public — which includes a public records portal.

Why this matters for your agency

Under the ADA Title II web rule, the compliance deadline for WCAG 2.1 AA is April 26, 2027 for governments serving 50,000 or more people, and April 26, 2028 for those under 50,000 and for special districts. Because the CivicRecordsOnline public portal already meets WCAG 2.1 AA, adopting it covers the records-portal piece of that obligation without standing up a separate accessibility project.

How we keep it accessible

Accessibility is checked on every release, not just at launch. We run each public-facing page through the WCAG 2.1 A and AA automated rule set and ship zero violations. Specifically:

The submit-a-request form, status lookup, released-records reading room, and request log can be operated with the keyboard alone.
Every page uses standard headings and landmarks so screen-reader users can move by section, and includes a "skip to content" link.
Form fields have visible labels, clear required-field markers, and inline error messages tied to the field.
Text and interactive elements meet the WCAG 2.1 AA contrast minimum, and keyboard focus is always visible.
Links, buttons, and controls describe their purpose, not just their position.

Known limitations

Some records released through the portal originate as scanned paper, photographs, handwritten notes, or third-party files. We work to make released documents readable — for example by running OCR on scanned PDFs when feasible — but certain source materials may not be fully accessible at the moment of release. If you need an accessible alternative for a specific released record, contact the agency that holds it, and they can work with you to provide the information in a usable format.

Report a barrier

If something on a CivicRecordsOnline portal isn't working for you, please tell us. The more detail you can share — the page address, what you were trying to do, the assistive technology you were using, and your preferred format — the faster we can respond. Email accessibility@civicrecordsonline.com. Issues with a specific released record should also be raised with the agency that released it.

Conformance report

A VPAT-style accessibility conformance report is available to agencies and their IT or procurement teams on request — email accessibility@civicrecordsonline.com.