Keyboard testing
Navigation, links, forms, menus, and controls are reviewed without relying on a mouse.
Municipal accessibility
WCAG 2.1 Level AA Accessibility
CNYCMS provides municipal accessibility auditing and reporting, website accessibility development, and consulting support for WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
Current federal municipal website accessibility dates
The U.S. Department of Justice Title II web accessibility rule identifies WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard for state and local government web content and mobile applications.
April 26, 2027
State and local governments with populations of 50,000 or more.
April 26, 2028
State and local governments with populations under 50,000. Special district governments also use the 2028 date.
Accessibility auditing & reporting
Human testing supported by automated tools
CNYCMS accessibility audits combine knowledgeable human evaluation with automated testing. The review looks at how the website works in practice, not only whether a scanning tool reports an issue.
Screen-reader testing
Core pages and interactions are reviewed with assistive technology to evaluate structure, labels, relationships, and behavior.
Visual and responsive testing
Contrast, visible focus, text resizing, reflow, and responsive layouts are reviewed for accessibility and usability.
Written accessibility report
A clear record of what was reviewed and what was found
After testing, CNYCMS provides a written accessibility report that explains the findings in practical terms. The report is designed to help the municipality understand where accessibility barriers were identified and what work may be needed to address them.
The report can include
- Scope and pages or features reviewed
- Accessibility barriers identified
- Related WCAG 2.1 Level AA success criteria
- Location and description of each finding
- Recommended remediation steps
- Retesting or verification notes when included in scope
Annual accessibility review
Periodic testing and updated reporting
Websites change as new content, documents, links, and features are published. CNYCMS can perform an annual accessibility review and provide an updated report that documents the website's current accessibility findings.
Most recent review date
When requested, the municipality can display the date of its most recent accessibility review on its Accessibility page, for example:
Accessibility last reviewed: September 2026
The review date documents when the most recent evaluation was performed. It is not presented as a certification or guarantee of future compliance.
Accessibility consulting
Technical guidance for municipal website work
CNYCMS provides accessibility consulting for municipal staff, webmasters, and development teams. Consulting can be used during a website project or as ongoing support after launch.
Consulting may include
- Review of work in progress
- WCAG implementation questions
- Accessibility guidance for page and component development
- Review of significant website changes
- Retesting after remediation
- Document and content accessibility guidance
What accessibility includes
Accessibility reaches across the website experience
WCAG addresses how web content is presented, structured, operated, and understood. For municipal websites, that can affect navigation, forms, documents, links, headings, images, keyboard operation, screen readers, contrast, zoom, reflow, and other parts of the resident experience.
CNYCMS accessibility work can include
- Semantic page structure and meaningful headings
- Keyboard access and visible focus
- Screen-reader-friendly labels, names, and relationships
- Color contrast and non-color cues
- Responsive layouts that support zoom and reflow
- Accessible links, forms, images, and interface controls
- Review of downloadable documents when included in scope
Important: CNYCMS provides website development and accessibility services, not legal advice. The applicability of legal requirements can depend on facts and circumstances specific to a public entity.
Talk with CNYCMS about municipal accessibility
CNYCMS is available to discuss accessibility auditing, written reporting, website development, consulting, and ongoing review.