Member Services

For public entities in California, accessibility is not optional. It is a legal requirement under federal and state law, and it is increasingly being enforced in the context of digital services.

Start Here: If You’re Starting from Scratch

If your organization has not yet begun addressing digital accessibility, you are not alone. Many public entities are in the same position. The most important step is to begin with a structured approach and focus on high-impact actions first.

Accessibility compliance is not achieved all at once. It is built through planning, assessment, remediation, and ongoing governance. The goal for the first 120 days is to establish control, understand your current state, and begin addressing the highest-risk areas.

Most organizations will need a combination of internal training and external support to effectively assess and remediate accessibility issues.

What to Focus on in the First 120 Days

1. Establish Ownership and Direction

• Designate an ADA Coordinator or internal accessibility lead
• Adopt a basic compliance plan to define roles, responsibilities, and timelines
  • Download the Sample Compliance Plan
• Align leadership on expectations and resource needs

2. Identify and Inventory Your Digital Assets

• Document your primary website, applications, forms, PDFs, and vendor systems
• Include third-party platforms that deliver services to the public
• Use an audit tracking tool to centralize this information
  • Example: Simplified for a small entity
  • Example: City, County, etc.

3. Conduct an Initial Accessibility Assessment

• Run automated scans on your website and key applications (these tools identify issues but do not replace manual testing or expertise)
• Identify obvious barriers such as missing alt text, poor color contrast, and inaccessible forms
• Begin documenting issues in a centralized audit or remediation log

4. Build Internal Capability or Secure Support

• Recognize that most staff are not trained to identify or remediate accessibility issues
• Provide foundational training for key roles such as IT, content creators, and procurement staff
• Use available training resources to build baseline knowledge (see “Training” section)
• Consider engaging a qualified vendor for audits, remediation, or advisory support if internal expertise is limited - members may consider use of any available subsidy funds to help cover costs.  

5. Prioritize High-Impact Services

• Focus first on services the public depends on, such as applications, payments, permits, and emergency information
• Address issues that block access entirely or prevent task completion
• Do not attempt to fix everything at once—prioritization is critical

6. Begin Remediation and Documentation

• Start fixing the most critical issues identified in your assessment
• Track remediation progress and maintain records of actions taken
• Maintain documentation to demonstrate good-faith compliance efforts

7. Evaluate Vendors and Contracts

• Identify systems provided by third-party vendors
• Request VPATs or accessibility documentation
• Begin incorporating accessibility requirements into new and renewing contracts

Use Available Templates and Tools: This resource library includes a compliance plan, audit templates, and tracking tools to help you implement each of the steps above in a structured and defensible way.

Key takeaway: You do not need to achieve full compliance in 120 days, but you do need a plan, documented progress, and a clear focus on high-impact services.

Organizations that are further along in their accessibility journey but want to better understand their overall compliance posture - including audit coverage, documentation, and readiness to respond to inquiries - may benefit from a structured assessment resource. PRISM has developed a comprehensive ADA compliance packet to support this effort across both physical and digital accessibility. 

Download the ADA Compliance Audit and Inventory Tool