Website Accessibility Statement

The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 championed the right of all individuals, including those with varying abilities, to have greater access and inclusion throughout the nation. Allegheny County recognizes that all members of the community with varying abilities have the right to full participation and active involvement in all aspects of our community and that the county should serve as the model for this set of beliefs. 

Website accessibility applies to all Allegheny County website content managed by county agencies, departments, offices or external service providers, including all new, updated, and existing web pages, as well as all web content produced or updated by Allegheny County.   

General Administration of Website ADA Compatibility 

The overall responsibility for the operational compliance of website accessibility will lie with the ADA Coordinator in conjunction with Office of Marketing and Special Events, Information Technology, and departmental leadership, as necessary. The responsibilities will include, and are not limited to: 

  • Providing oversight into content posted on county-owned websites to ensure ADA compliance 
  • Certifying compliance with ADA standards of all additions or revisions of content to ensure consistent applications, and leverage a publicly-recognized website accessibility compliance tool
  • Certifying that the Accessibility webpage includes contact information to report challenges to the format or to request accessible services and information
  • Informing administrative personnel when content is not compliant and coordinating appropriate actions

Accessibility Design Guidelines 

To address aspects of the salient issues identified by the Federal Department of Justice (DOJ), procedures have been developed according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA, which are developed by the World Wide Web Consortium.  

In accordance with WCAG 2.1, Level AA guidelines, Allegheny County seeks to ensure that website content: 

Perceivable

  • Text alternatives are provided for non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols, or simpler language
  • Includes alternatives for time-based media, such as closed captions
  • Content can be presented in different ways without losing information or structure
  • Easier for users to see and hear content, including clearly separating foreground from background elements

Operable

  • All functionality is available from a keyboard 
  • Users have enough time to read and use content
  • Content is not designed or presented in a way that is known to cause seizures or physical reactions
  • Users can navigate, find content, and determine where they are
  • Functionality can be operated through various inputs beyond keyboard

Understandable

  • Text is readable and understandable
  • Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways
  • Users can avoid or correct mistakes

Robust

  • Content can be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies 

Monitoring and Review Process 

Allegheny County is committed to ensuring the accessibility of county-owned websites for people with disabilities and recognizes the importance of making websites accessible by everyone, regardless of their abilities.

As county-owned websites are evolving, some content may not yet fully meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. Allegheny County is actively working to identify, address, and correct accessibility barriers as part of the ongoing commitment to equitable access.

If you encounter any accessibility issues, have difficulty accessing any digital content, or require information presented on a website in an alternate format, please contact the ADA Coordinator or submit a concern through the Accessibility on Allegheny County-owned Websites form.

Click here to view form.

Click here to view the Accessibility Feedback on Allegheny County-owned Websites form in a new window.

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