Fort Lauderdale WCAG Website Compliance Steps

Technology and Data Florida 3 Minutes Read ยท published February 20, 2026 Flag of Florida

Fort Lauderdale, Florida staff are responsible for ensuring city websites and digital services meet WCAG accessibility standards so residents with disabilities can access public information and services. This guide summarizes steps for auditing, remediating, documenting accessibility, and using municipal complaint and accommodation routes. It references official City departments and the Fort Lauderdale municipal code so staff can follow enforceable processes and locate forms and contacts.

Penalties & Enforcement

The City of Fort Lauderdale does not publish a dedicated municipal fine schedule for website accessibility on the primary pages cited below; fines and escalation for web-accessibility failures are not specified on the cited page. Staff should rely on the City ADA Coordinator and Information Technology Department for enforcement guidance and internal corrective actions. [1][2][3]

Report accessibility problems promptly to preserve appeal rights.
  • Fines: not specified on the cited municipal pages; see municipal code for related enforcement provisions where applicable.
  • Escalation: not specified on the cited pages; escalation typically follows complaint intake, remedial notice, and follow-up inspection.
  • Enforcer: ADA Coordinator and Information Technology Department administer accessibility remediation and acceptance testing. For discrimination or ADA grievances, the Office of Equal Opportunity handles formal complaints.[2]
  • Inspection/Complaint pathways: use the city ADA or IT contact pages to report issues and request accommodations.
  • Appeals/Review: formal appeal or grievance procedures for ADA matters are not fully specified on the cited pages; staff should follow the ADA Coordinator instructions for timelines and review steps.
  • Defences/discretion: allowable defenses (reasonable accommodation, undue burden, or fundamental alteration) derive from federal ADA guidance; specific municipal exceptions are not specified on the cited pages.

Applications & Forms

The City publishes ADA accommodation and service request mechanisms; a specific web-accessibility remediation form is not published on the cited pages and is therefore not specified on the cited page. Contact the ADA Coordinator or IT Web Services to learn current submission methods and any required documentation.[2]

Steps for Fort Lauderdale Staff to Achieve WCAG Compliance

  1. Inventory all public-facing web pages, PDFs, and web applications owned by your department.
  2. Perform an initial automated WCAG 2.1 Level AA scan, then follow with manual testing (keyboard only, screen readers).
  3. Prioritize fixes: critical services, high-traffic pages, and content required by law or public safety.
  4. Document remediation: record defects, remediation steps, responsible staff, and completion dates.
  5. Coordinate with Information Technology for code-level fixes and with Procurement for accessible third-party content or vendor contracts.
  6. Schedule periodic re-testing and maintain accessibility statements and contact instructions on affected pages.
Start with the most-used public services and documents to maximize impact quickly.

Common Violations

  • Images without alt text or decorative images missing null alt attributes.
  • Poor keyboard navigation or missing focus indicators.
  • PDFs and documents not OCRed or tagged for accessibility.
  • Insufficient color contrast and inaccessible form controls.

FAQ

Who enforces web accessibility for city websites?
The City ADA Coordinator and the Information Technology Department coordinate enforcement and remediation; formal code-based fines for web accessibility are not specified on the cited municipal pages.
How do I report an accessibility problem on a city webpage?
Report issues to the IT Web Services or ADA Coordinator using the contacts on the official city pages; provide URL, description, and preferred contact method.
Is there a required timeline for fixing accessibility issues?
Specific municipal timelines for remediation are not specified on the cited pages; timelines are set case-by-case in coordination with IT and the ADA Coordinator.

How-To

  1. Gather URLs and owner contacts for all digital assets you control.
  2. Run an automated WCAG scan and export results to a remediation tracker.
  3. Assign remediation tasks by priority and fix code or content issues.
  4. Validate fixes with manual testing and update the tracker with completion evidence.
  5. Publish or update an accessibility statement with a contact for reporting issues.
  6. Schedule quarterly scans and annual manual audits to maintain compliance.

Key Takeaways

  • Start with an inventory and quick wins on high-impact pages.
  • Combine automated scans with manual testing for reliable results.
  • Use the ADA Coordinator and IT contacts to report and resolve problems promptly.

Help and Support / Resources

  1. [1] City of Fort Lauderdale - Information Technology Department
  2. [2] City of Fort Lauderdale - Office of Equal Opportunity / ADA
  3. [3] Fort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances (Municode)

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