St. Louis Website Accessibility Ordinance - WCAG Steps

Technology and Data Missouri 3 Minutes Read · published February 09, 2026 Flag of Missouri

Website accessibility for municipal services in St. Louis, Missouri requires practical planning, vendor oversight and public complaint paths. This guide explains steps city departments and contractors should follow to align sites and web applications with WCAG principles, identifies the local offices typically responsible for accessibility, and shows how to report problems affecting St. Louis residents and visitors. Where city rules or fines are not published on the official pages we cite, the text notes that explicitly and identifies the authoritative office to contact for enforcement or review.

Required steps to meet WCAG for St. Louis services

  • Perform an initial accessibility audit using WCAG 2.1 or later as the baseline and document conformance levels (A/AA/AAA).
  • Adopt an accessibility statement for the site that describes scope, standards used and contact/complaint route; publish it prominently.
  • Fix high-impact issues first (navigation, forms, labels, keyboard access) and prioritize by user impact and frequency.
  • Maintain test records and remediation logs for years as evidence of ongoing compliance and improvement.
  • Include accessibility requirements and acceptance criteria in procurement documents and contracts for vendors delivering public-facing services.
Start with an audit, a published statement and an accessible feedback form.

City of St. Louis web services often reference the municipal IT accessibility resources for standards and reporting; consult the city accessibility page for department-specific guidance and contact points.[1]

Penalties & Enforcement

Enforcement for web accessibility issues affecting municipal services can involve administrative complaint processes, remediation orders or litigation under federal disability laws; specific local monetary fines or daily penalties for website noncompliance are not specified on the cited municipal pages. For authoritative text of local ordinances and enforcement procedures, consult the city code publisher and the city accessibility resources listed below.[2]

If a service is inaccessible, document issues with screenshots, dates and the affected user task before filing a complaint.
  • Typical enforcers: municipal IT department for remediation coordination and the municipal civil rights/civil liberties office for discrimination complaints; see city department contacts below.
  • Inspection and complaint pathway: submit an accessibility complaint to the departmental contact, and escalate to the city civil rights or legal office if unresolved.
  • Fines and monetary penalties: not specified on the cited page; consult the municipal code or the enforcing office for statutory amounts or schedules.[2]
  • Appeals/review: not specified on the cited page; appeal routes often follow administrative review steps or court review under state law—contact the enforcing department for time limits and procedures.
  • Non-monetary sanctions: typical remedies include remediation orders, deadlines for fixes, suspension of online services or referral to legal counsel; specific sanctions are not listed on the cited municipal accessibility page.

Applications & Forms

No city-wide standardized "website compliance" permit form is published on the primary accessibility resource; administrative complaint forms or civil-rights intake forms may be used for reporting discrimination or access barriers. Where a named form or application number exists it will be listed on the enforcing office page; if not listed, the cited pages show "not specified on the cited page."[2]

How-To

  1. Assign responsibility for accessibility to a project owner and record that assignment.
  2. Run an automated audit and follow with manual testing using assistive technologies.
  3. Publish an accessibility statement and a simple feedback form with a response SLA.
  4. Create a remediation plan with prioritized fixes, vendor obligations and a timeline.
  5. Retest after remediation and keep versioned records of tests and fixes.
Keep remediation records and vendor contracts that require WCAG conformance.

FAQ

Does St. Louis require websites to follow WCAG?
City guidance encourages WCAG for municipal services, but formal penalty amounts or a city ordinance explicitly listing fines for website noncompliance are not specified on the cited municipal pages.[2]
Where do I report an inaccessible city service?
Report accessibility issues to the department providing the service and the city civil rights/civil liberties office; department contact links appear in the Help and Support section below.
Are there forms or fees to request an accessibility review?
No specific city-wide form or fee for website compliance review is published on the cited accessibility resource; intake processes may be department-specific.[2]

Key Takeaways

  • Publish an accessibility statement and a feedback route for every municipal service.
  • Prioritize fixes by impact, retain test records and include accessibility in contracts.
  • Use the city contact points to file complaints if remediation is not timely.

Help and Support / Resources

  1. [1] City of St. Louis IT - Accessibility page
  2. [2] St. Louis Code of Ordinances - Municipal code publisher

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