San Jose WCAG Website Accessibility Checklist

Technology and Data California 3 Minutes Read · published February 06, 2026 Flag of California

This checklist summarizes how websites serving San Jose, California should align with the city’s web accessibility commitments and operational steps for compliance. It highlights the standards referenced by the City, who enforces accessibility, how to report problems, and practical remediation steps for website owners and contractors. Use this page to confirm policies, prepare documentation, and follow official complaint and remediation pathways for digital access in San Jose. For the City’s published web accessibility statement and technical expectations, see the City web accessibility page: Web Accessibility Policy[1].

Penalties & Enforcement

The City of San Jose enforces website accessibility primarily through its Information Technology department and the Office of Equality Assurance (or equivalent civil rights/ADA office). Specific monetary fines or per-day penalties for noncompliant municipal contractors or third-party websites are not specified on the cited city pages; enforcement focuses on correction, accommodation and administrative remedies where available.[2]

Report problems promptly to trigger review and remediation.
  • Enforcing offices: Information Technology (web services) and Office of Equality Assurance or ADA coordinator.
  • Complaint intake: submit accessibility complaints or accommodation requests via the City’s ADA/Equality Assurance contact page.
  • Typical remedies: technical remediation of pages, posting accessible alternatives, written remediation plans and timelines.
  • Escalation: internal administrative review and corrective orders; civil or judicial remedies are possible if administrative routes fail (specific escalation steps and fines are not specified on the cited pages).
  • Monetary fines: not specified on the cited page.

Applications & Forms

The city does not publish a separate standardized "web accessibility violation" form on the cited pages; complaints and requests for accommodation are accepted through the Office of Equality Assurance or the IT accessibility contact channels listed on the city site. If your organization is a City vendor, include accessibility documentation with procurement submissions as required by contract terms (contract-specific forms are set in procurement documents, not on the general accessibility page).

Vendors should attach accessibility conformance documentation to bids and proposals.

Practical Compliance Steps for Website Owners

Follow these action steps to align with the City’s expectations and reduce risk of accessibility complaints.

  • Conduct an initial audit against WCAG 2.1 AA (or the version cited by the City policy) and document findings.
  • Prioritize fixes by impact: navigation, forms, images, video captions, and semantic markup.
  • Maintain remediation logs and timelines showing progress and responsible parties.
  • Provide accessible alternatives for critical content while remediation is in progress.
  • Publish a clear accessibility statement and contact for reporting barriers.

FAQ

What accessibility standard does San Jose require for city websites?
The City refers to its web accessibility policy which specifies technical standards and expectations; the cited City page should be consulted for the exact WCAG version referenced.[1]
How do I report an inaccessible City web page?
Submit a complaint or request for accommodation via the Office of Equality Assurance or the City IT accessibility contact listed on the official site.[2]
Are there fines for noncompliance?
Monetary fines and per-day penalties are not specified on the cited pages; enforcement emphasizes remediation and administrative correction.

How-To

  1. Identify the scope: list all public-facing pages and critical interactive features that serve San Jose residents.
  2. Run automated scans and manual testing against the WCAG level cited by the City, and document issues.
  3. Produce a remediation plan with prioritized fixes, owners and deadlines; provide temporary accessible alternatives where needed.
  4. Submit progress updates to the City contact if you are a City vendor or if the City requested remediation.
  5. When a complaint is received, cooperate with the Office of Equality Assurance or IT to implement corrective actions and provide completion evidence.

Key Takeaways

  • San Jose expects clear accessibility procedures and an accessible contact point for reports.
  • Document audits and remediation work to demonstrate good faith and progress.
  • File complaints through the Office of Equality Assurance to initiate official review.

Help and Support / Resources

  1. [1] City of San Jose Web Accessibility Policy
  2. [2] Office of Equality Assurance - complaint and ADA contact

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