Baltimore City Website Accessibility Rules for Contractors
Baltimore, Maryland requires city contractors to make public-facing digital services accessible to people with disabilities. This guide summarizes the city procurement expectations, the technical standards commonly enforced, how complaints and inspections are handled, and step-by-step actions contractors can take to comply with accessibility requirements when contracting with the City of Baltimore.
Standards and Scope
Contract language and procurement specifications for Baltimore City frequently reference web accessibility standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508 technical criteria for federal procurement. Contractors should confirm the standard specified in each solicitation and in contract documents.
For current procurement clauses and contractor requirements see the City procurement portal Procurement Services[1]. For reporting accessibility problems or the City's accessibility statement, consult the City accessibility page Accessibility[2].
Penalties & Enforcement
Enforcement authority for contract compliance is typically held by the Bureau of Procurement within the Department of Finance, with technical assistance and complaint intake available from city IT and accessibility contacts. Specific monetary fines or per-day penalties for noncompliance are not consistently published on the cited procurement or accessibility pages; where the City has contract remedies they are set out in individual contract terms and procurement regulations.
- Fines or monetary penalties: not specified on the cited page[1].
- Escalation: first, repeat, and continuing-offence ranges are not specified on the cited procurement pages; remedies depend on contract terms[1].
- Non-monetary sanctions: contract breach notices, corrective action plans, withholding of payment, suspension or termination of contract, and referral to city legal counsel or courts are possible remedies under city procurement rules (specifics are in individual contracts or procurement regulations).
- Enforcer and complaint intake: Bureau of Procurement and the City accessibility contact handle complaints and compliance inquiries; see the Procurement Services page and the City accessibility page for contact methods[1][2].
- Appeals and review: time limits and appeal routes are set by procurement rules or the contract; specific appeal periods are not specified on the cited procurement page[1].
Applications & Forms
The procurement portal lists vendor registration and bidding procedures; there is no single, dedicated "website accessibility" form published on the procurement or accessibility pages reviewed. For vendor registration and contract submission see the Procurement Services portal and solicitation documents for specific form names and submission instructions[1].
Compliance Checklist for Contractors
- Review the solicitation and contract accessibility clauses before bid submission.
- Perform an accessibility audit against the stated standard (e.g., WCAG 2.1 AA).
- Remediate prioritized issues and document fixes, timelines, and testing evidence.
- Include ongoing monitoring and maintenance commitments in proposals where required.
- Provide a clear accessibility statement and contact for reporting barriers on the contracted site or service.
Action Steps
- Before bidding: confirm the exact accessibility standard cited in the solicitation.
- Audit current site and prepare a remediation plan with timelines and cost estimates.
- Include accessibility attestations or documentation with your bid if the solicitation requires them.
- If compliance issues are found post-award, submit corrective action plans and communicate with the contracting officer promptly.
FAQ
- Which accessibility standard does Baltimore require for contractor websites?
- The standard varies by solicitation; many City documents reference WCAG or Section 508—confirm the exact standard in each contract.
- Who enforces accessibility requirements in city contracts?
- The Bureau of Procurement enforces contract compliance with assistance from city IT and accessibility contacts; use the procurement portal and accessibility page to report issues.[1][2]
- Are there published fines for noncompliance?
- Monetary fines or per-day penalties are not specified on the cited procurement or accessibility pages; remedies are generally contained in contract terms.[1]
- Is there a standard form to certify accessibility compliance?
- No single accessibility certification form is published on the procurement or accessibility pages reviewed; check each solicitation for required forms and submission instructions.[1]
How-To
- Confirm the accessibility standard required by the solicitation or contract.
- Conduct a technical accessibility audit of the website or digital product against that standard.
- Prioritize and fix critical barriers, documenting remediation steps and dates.
- Validate fixes with testing (automated and manual testing, including assistive technologies).
- Prepare and submit any required attestations or remediation plans to the contracting officer.
- Maintain ongoing monitoring and a public accessibility statement with a contact for issues.
Key Takeaways
- Always check the solicitation for the exact accessibility standard and contract remedies.
- Keep audit records and remediation evidence to demonstrate good-faith compliance.
Help and Support / Resources
- Bureau of Procurement - Procurement Services
- City of Baltimore Accessibility Contact and Statement
- Maryland Department of Information Technology - Accessibility