HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocumentation_Workshop_Tab 07_04/29/2019Lori McWilliams
From:
James Weinand
Sent:
Thursday, April 11, 2019 10:10 AM
To:
Lori McWilliams
Subject:
FW: Website
Lori,
Put this item on the Workshop again. Add this article to the backup.
Jim
----- Original Message -----
From: Abby Brennan <abrennan@tequesta.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2019 7:26 AM
To: Lori McWilliams <Imcwilliams@tequesta.org>; Keith Davis <keith@davisashtonlaw.com>
Cc: James Weinand <jweinand@tequesta.org>
Subject: Website
Perhaps we should take another look at shutting down our website until it is ADA compliant
Cities scramble to make websites accessible
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Abby Brennan
Mayor
Village of Tecluesta
Abrennan@tequesta.org
(561) 768-0740
I
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Cities scramble to make websites accessible - Palm Beach Post
Cities scramble to make websites
accessible
By Kristina Webb
The Palm Beach Post
Visit the website for Atlantis and what you'll get is a blue background with the city's
logo and this message: "Site under maintenance." Atlantis is one of several
municipalities to take down its website over the threat of legal action by folks who say
the sites lack accessibility for disabled people. Some cities are redesigning their sites,
while others simply take their websites down.
As for Palm Beach County, it is "in the process of ensuring our website and
documents are in compliance," county spokeswoman Lisa De La Rionda said,
declining further comment because of a pending lawsuit.
Municipalities can face tens of thousands of dollars in costs as they race to meet the
requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act before a so-called "cottage
industry" of lawyers hits their communities, officials said.
And even those cities whose websites remain live have new additions: statements on
accessibility for the blind and hearing-impaired they hope will protect them from
possible legal action.
The most visible of these communities has been Lake Worth Beach, which last year
halted live broadcasts of its meetings and eventually moved recordings to YouTube to
provide closed captions for hearing-impaired viewers, which is an ADA requirement.
"YouTube is not the perfect option," city spokesman Ben Kerr told The Palm Beach
Post at the time. "It's the only option we have."
The issue isn't isolated to Palm Beach County, said Richard Radcliffe, Palm Beach
County League of Cities executive director.
"This is happening across the United States," he said. While some lawsuits are filled
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Cities scramble to make websites accessible - Palm Beach Post
with good intentions, Radcliffe said there is a "cottage industry" of attorneys looking to
settle with cities for thousands of dollars a pop.
Some cities have taken down mapping systems, graphics, budget documents and
meeting agendas, Radcliffe said.
There is no law that says cities have to offer those items online, he said. "But most
cities do it because they want to be transparent," he added.
Lake Worth Beach has taken down most of its website as it awaits a June I relaunch
that will address ADA compliance issues, Kerr said. The temporary, bare -bones
website has a calendar and links to pay utility bills, seek building permits and address
code compliance issues.
Other cities including Atlantis, Mangonia Park and Palm Beach Shores have
completely taken down their websites.
For smaller cities, it can be more cost effective to take down sites and pursue less
expensive options than face a potentially costly lawsuit, Radcliffe said.
Atlantis is one of about 200 entities sued by Juan Carlos Gil, a Miami -based advocate
for people with special needs. Gil is legally blind and in his lawsuits calls for entities to
make their websites easier to access.
"We've been working for several weeks to make sure that our site was ADA -
compliant," Atlantis City Manager Brian Moree said. As cities navigate the process of
updating their websites, Moree said they found that recommendations from the U.S.'
Department of Justice are "a little bit of a gray area."
Atlantis already had money it's in budget to redesign its website, but that cost has
gone up because of the accessibility improvements, Moree said. Just how much that
price tag has risen is yet to be seen, he said.
Palm Beach Gardens started the process of redesigning its website in December, city
spokeswoman Candice Temple said. That should be finished by the end of April.
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Cities scramble to make websites accessible - Palm Beach Post
Palm Beach Gardens upgraded its plan with its video vendor to add closed captioning
to live meetings for an additional $30,000 a year, Temple said.
And in the next few months, the city will begin its $5,000 -a -year subscription with
Audio Eyes, a service to monitor the city's website and notify officials of any
compliance issues, Temple said.
Both Wellington and Palm Beach Gardens said they have assigned staff members to
go through documents on their website to improve how those items are "read" by
software for the blind.
Royal Palm Beach is in the midst of a long-awaited website redesign and now is
adding ADA accessibility to its list of needs, Village Manager Ray Liggins said.
A notice at the top of the village's homepage instructs visitors on who to contact with
concerns about "inaccessible material."
"The Village of Royal Palm Beach is committed to ensuring that all visitors and
residents, including visitors and residents with disabilities, are able to access and use
all of our programs, services, and activities," the note says. "Please be advised that
the Village is currently researching ADA compatibilities to ensure accessibility to our
disabled residents and visitors." Staff writer Jodie Wagner contributed to this report.
kwebb@pbpost.com
@kristinawebb
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