10 - CivicPlus LIcense and Service Agreement - Website Design - ADA Compliance Software

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Item No. 10 TO: Mayor Mayor Pro Tem City Council FROM: Robert G. Vine, Assistant City Manager SUBJECT: AudioEye / Civic Plus Agreement – ADA Compliance Software for City Website DATE: July 24, 2023 BACKGROUND: The City entered into a contract with Civic Plus in 2008 and they have been hosting the City's website since that time. Staff is currently working with Civic Plus to update the City's website and has learned that it is necessary to make improvements and upgrades with specific regard to bringing it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). STATUS OF ISSUE: On March 18, 2022, the Department of Justice released guidance on web accessibility in which the agency stated that the ADA's requirements apply to all the goods, services, privileges or activities offered by public accommodations, including those offered on websites. The guidance said that businesses open to the public must take steps to provide appropriate communication aids and services, often called "auxiliary aids and services," where necessary to make sure they effectively communicate with individuals with disabilities. Even though businesses and state and local governments have flexibility in how they comply with the ADA's general requirements of nondiscrimination and effective communication, they still must ensure that the programs, services, and goods that they provide to the public—including those provided online—are accessible to people with disabilities. People who are visually impaired rely on websites that are coded to meet their needs. They often use a screen -reading tool that translates the material audibly. Inaccessible websites largely prevent people who are blind or have low vision from accessing goods and services.