SHAMEFUL. This feels like a lack of commitment to accessible goods and services, again.
Brief History
An accessible town website was relegated to year 3 of the town’s first accessibility plan, then listed as a priority for 2005, then 2006 and a 2007 report informed council that the website was compliant with W3C accessibility standards. But it wasn’t, according to an external expert. In 2009, a newly designed website was unveiled and problems continued. In 2011, I commented regarding difficulty navigating the website. In 2014, Amherstburg was invited to hire esolutions when the County redesigned its site to meet accessibility standards; Leamington and Essex had already hired the web design company but Amherstburg declined. According to the town’s site, esolutions redesigned Amherstburg’s site in 2016, although it still had issues.
Deadline Extension Requested
Thousands of dollars and redesigns later, in a September 2020 Report to Council, Administration recommended, and council agreed, to request the Province of Ontario to extend the AODA website compliance January 1, 2021 deadline to at least January 1, 2022 due to COVID-19.
The report claimed COVID was the reason, then administration explained at the council meeting that it was due to third parties. Did no one on council realize the town is also responsible for third party vendors?
Compared to the 2005 AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act), COVID-19 only existed for a short time but, suddenly, in September 2020, the town needed more time? 15 months more time?
Present Request
Following the January 1, 2022 deadline extension the town requested, a Report to Council for the January 15 Special Council meeting states: ‘The Ministry has approved of this approach and the Town and Ministry have agreed all associated work shall be completed prior to the end of 2024. As such the Town’s work plan expires on December 31, 2024; there are risks that users may encounter barriers in accessing information on Town websites; and the cost to perform a website redesign and refresh not to exceed $70,000, excluding HST.’
My 2020 question stands, why are we not compliant by now?
Related posts:
Town of Amherstburg Requests Website Compliance Deadline Extension
Amherstburg Requests Website Compliance Deadline Extension – The Recommendation.
Amherstburg Requests Website Compliance Deadline Extension – The Resolution
Amherstburg Requests Website Compliance Deadline Extension – The Vote
Amherstburg Requests Website Compliance Deadline Extension – Follow Up Questions to Council
Amherstburg Requests Website Compliance Deadline Extension – Circulation of Resolution
Amherstburg requests Website Compliance Deadline Extension – Third Party Vendors
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