Denver Website Accessibility Requirements - City Rules

Civil Rights and Equity Colorado 3 Minutes Read ยท published February 07, 2026 Flag of Colorado

Denver, Colorado requires municipal websites to be accessible to people with disabilities and to follow the citys published accessibility expectations for public-facing sites. Municipal departments must evaluate and remediate barriers, provide accessible alternatives, and publish an accessibility statement and contact method for reports and requests for accommodation. Refer to the Citys accessibility policy for municipal site standards and the applicable municipal code and federal ADA guidance for legal context. Denver website accessibility policy[1], Denver Revised Municipal Code (Municode)[2], U.S. Department of Justice - ADA[3]

Municipal websites should include an accessibility statement with contact details.

Scope and Who This Applies To

This guidance covers official Denver city and county websites, web applications, public-facing portals, and documents published online by municipal departments. Third-party contractors providing web content on behalf of the city must meet the same accessibility expectations set by Denvers policy and contract terms.

Penalties & Enforcement

Denvers publicly posted website accessibility policy and the municipal code set expectations and complaint channels, but specific monetary fines for web accessibility noncompliance are not enumerated on the cited policy page; see the sources cited below for details. Enforcement typically involves department-level corrective orders, complaint investigation, and escalation to legal counsel or civil remedies where federal ADA violations are implicated.

  • Fines: not specified on the cited page; monetary penalties for web accessibility enforcement are not listed on the city policy page cited above.
  • Escalation: first notice and remediation request, followed by further administrative or legal action for unresolved or continuing violations; exact escalation schedules are not specified on the cited page.
  • Non-monetary sanctions: corrective orders, mandatory remediation plans, withholding of approvals for web contracts, and referral to the Office of the City Attorney or federal enforcement if ADA violations are alleged.
  • Enforcer and complaint pathway: city department managers and the designated accessibility contact investigate complaints; city accessibility policy lists reporting contacts and procedural steps on the official policy page.
  • Appeals and review: appeal routes are typically administrative review within the department or City Attorney referral; specific time limits for appeals are not specified on the cited municipal policy page.
If you encounter an inaccessible municipal page, report it using the citys published contact method so the department can begin remediation.

Applications & Forms

There is no separate, centralized "web accessibility violation" form published on the city policy page; complaints are handled through the contact method listed in the accessibility policy or via departmental complaint procedures. For federal ADA claims, plaintiffs may use the Department of Justice channels cited in federal guidance.

Common Violations

  • Poor keyboard navigation and inaccessible forms.
  • Missing alt text on images and unlabeled controls.
  • Documents (PDFs) published without tags or readable structure.
Start with an accessibility statement and an easy reporting method on each site.

Action Steps for Departments and Vendors

  • Audit existing site content against WCAG 2.1 AA or the standards named in Denvers policy.
  • Prioritize remediation for high-impact pages and public services (forms, permits, payments).
  • Publish or update the accessibility statement with a clear contact and expected response timeframe.
  • Document remediation actions and retain records of complaints and fixes for review.

FAQ

Who enforces website accessibility for Denver municipal sites?
The responsible city department and the designated accessibility contact handle enforcement and remediation; serious matters may be referred to the City Attorney or federal authorities.
How do I report an inaccessible Denver website?
Use the contact method listed in Denvers website accessibility policy or the departments published contact; include page URL, description of the barrier, and contact info for follow-up.
Are there specific technical standards to follow?
Denver references recognized accessibility standards in its policy; departments generally use WCAG 2.1 AA or the federal standards referenced by DOJ and Section 508 guidance.

How-To

  1. Identify priority services and public pages that must be accessible first.
  2. Run an automated and manual accessibility audit to find barriers.
  3. Assign remediation tasks to content owners and developers with deadlines.
  4. Publish an updated accessibility statement and response contact.
  5. Track complaints and remediation records until verified fixes are deployed.

Key Takeaways

  • Publish an accessibility statement and contact on every municipal site.
  • Audit and remediate high-priority services first.
  • Use departmental procedures and legal referral for unresolved cases.

Help and Support / Resources

  1. [1] Denver website accessibility policy
  2. [2] Denver Revised Municipal Code (Municode)
  3. [3] U.S. Department of Justice - ADA

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