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An Official Vermont Government Website

Website Accessibility

The underlying SOV Web Template is fully accessible and meets WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines. When users add content to the template, they must do so in a way that maintains accessibility and the WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines. Accessible content ensures an inclusive user experience and that digital content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for individuals with disabilities. When developing web content, you must prioritize accessibility throughout the design, development, and maintenance process. It’s much easier to make sites accessible from the beginning rather than fixing something after it’s already been built.

Learn why accessibility is essential for some and useful for all.

Common Accessibility Issues

According to Digital.gov, there are four common accessibility issues on government websites: 

Missing Alt Text

Always add alt text to images so that people using screen readers can understand the meaning of an image if they cannot visually see it. Alt text can be read by screen readers and helps people who are blind or who have low vision understand the visual content. All images, charts and graphic elements must include detailed information in the alt attribute so that users relying on screen readers can understand the message conveyed by an image or graphic.

Lack of Structure

When creating content, use headings and styles to organize content. People using screen readers rely on the syles and headings to navigate through a web page. Headings should be used to indicate and organize webpage structure. By using headings in the correct order(<h1>, <h2>, <h3>…), the content of your webpages will be easy to follow for screen reader users. Avoid skipping heading levels (ie going from <h2> to <h4>) because that confuses screen readers. Finally, avoid selecting a header simply because it looks nice visually. Here's a video tutorial on how to create an accessible heading hierarchy.

Insufficient Color Contrast

Follow the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) guidance on color to ensure sufficient contrast between text and background colors.

Content Quality

Assume people will scroll through the content rather than read it. Write short, simple sentences using everyday language. Put the most important information at the top of the page. 

Tips for Websites

Typography

Use sans-serif fonts for all body text. The preferred typefaces for websites and apps are Open Sans and Lato. Header text needs to be larger than body text and use heading styles. Every state website must use a font size set to 1em and at a ‘normal’ weight for body text.

Hyperlinks

  • Links to external websites, PDFs, and Word documents should open in a new browser window. Hyperlink titles should describe the action that will happen when the user clicks on the link, such as ‘Download grant application’ or ‘Read more about the grant program.’
  • Inline links (links within the body copy) must incorporate two visual cues to distinguish the link from the rest of the body text. The preferred style is to apply an underline and a contrasting color that is has been tested for readability.
  • Links to external sites (web pages not part of the current site) and documents (PDFs, Word documents, etc.) should open in a new browser window.
  • Link titles should be descriptive of the action that will happen when the user activates the link, e.g., ‘Download grant application’ or ‘Read more about the grant program.’ Avoid using terms such as ‘Click here’ or ‘PDF’ for link titles, because users with screen readers or other assistive technology will not be able to tell where the link will go if clicked.
  • Make the link text unique for each instance.
  • Ideally the link text should be modified to be unique so the user knows they will be going to a unique link. An example would be an events list where the title is a link to the unique event. If you have an event "Weekly book club" that is on the 5th, and another event "Weekly book club" that is on the 12th, this will be flagged because those links have the same text but link to a unique event. The ideal way to fix this would be to add additional context to the title - "Weekly book club - April 5th" or some other differentiator that would not confuse a user with a screen reader. 

Video Captioning

Be sure to provide captions in the videos so that users who are deaf or hard of hearing can understand the content without having to rely on the visuals alone. Never rely on automated captions because they are usually incorrect. Invest the time to manually add or proof captions.

Create Webpages Instead of PDFs

Create webpages to display your content instead of linking from your webpage to inaccessible PDFs or Word documents. If you must link to a PDF or Word document, make sure you are linking to an accessible version. Run the accessibility checker on the file before you put it on your site.

Responsive Design

All state websites need to be responsive, meaning they re-stack and resize all content automatically to work best with the display of the viewing device, such as a cell phone, laptop, or desktop computer. It is acceptable for menus to collapse into a menu button that a user must click to open, but these menu buttons must appear and stick at the top or bottom of a tablet or mobile screen. 

Color Contrast

Make sure text and data can be understood without color. Choose color combinations with high contrast. When in doubt, refer to our Color Palette page and the WebAIM contrast checker.

Tables

Use tables sparingly to display data and avoid using tables as layout tools. Users relying on screen readers can have a hard time navigating tables if they are not set up properly (with styles, headers and alt text).

Plain Language

Keep your content simple to read and understand. Avoid using complex words or long sentences. Aim for an 8th grade reading level or below. Use tools such as Microsoft Word's readability feature or the Hemingway App to determine the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. Spelling errors will break screen reader output and reduce the reading score of the content. If your content is specific and cannot be put into plain language, you can provide a summary of the content that meets the recommended 8th grade reading level.

Preparing for a Website Audit

By April 2026, the State of Vermont’s digital content needs to meet the updated Americans with Disabilities Act requirements under Title II: Digital Accessibility to meet WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance. State entities can take steps to prepare their website and content for auditing. Visit the Preparing for a Website Audit page to get started.

Testing for Accessibility Compliance

Accessibility is an ongoing process. Websites should be tested regularly using screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, and other assistive technologies. It is important to regularly audit content to ensure it complies with accessibility best practices. Testing and auditing will identify accessibility barriers when navigating the site and content that needs to be revised. A helpful tool to test and audit websites internally is the WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool). If you would like to learn more about additional options to have your website tested and audited, please consult with the Director of Web Services.

Additional Website Accessibility Resources