Philadelphia Municipal Website Accessibility Checklist

Civil Rights and Equity Pennsylvania 3 Minutes Read ยท published February 05, 2026 Flag of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania city departments and vendors must ensure public websites meet accessible design and content standards. This checklist summarizes municipal expectations, practical actions, and reference sources to guide compliance across departmental sites, intranets, and public-facing applications. It emphasizes inventorying content, applying WCAG testing, documenting fixes, and publishing an accessibility statement so residents with disabilities can access services equitably. Use this guide to plan audits, assign responsibilities, and track remediation progress within city teams and third-party contractors.

Follow WCAG 2.1 AA as the baseline for compliance.

Checklist

Use the following checklist as a minimum set of actions for city websites and web-based services.

  • Inventory all public web pages, PDFs, and interactive tools and record owners and update frequency.
  • Adopt WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria for content, navigation, forms, and multimedia.
  • Run automated scans and prioritized manual testing (keyboard-only, screen readers, color contrast).
  • Publish an accessibility statement describing standards, known limitations and a contact for reports.
  • Set remediation timelines by priority and track progress in a central register.
  • Provide an accessible complaint and support channel for residents (email, phone, form) and record responses.
Document fixes and retain testing records to demonstrate continuous compliance efforts.

Penalties & Enforcement

Philadelphia's official digital accessibility information identifies responsible offices and standards but does not publish specific monetary penalties or a municipal ordinance listing fines for website noncompliance on the public page cited below City digital accessibility[1]. Enforcement typically rests with the city's technology or civil rights offices; federal enforcement (ADA, Section 508) may also apply for state and local government programs Section 508 resources[2].

  • Fines: not specified on the cited page.
  • Escalation: not specified on the cited page; federal enforcement procedures (complaints, DOJ investigations) may apply.
  • Non-monetary sanctions: corrective orders, required remediation, and potential litigation under federal disability law.
  • Enforcer: City Office of Innovation and Technology or designated digital accessibility office; complaints may also be filed under federal ADA channels.
  • Appeals/review: not specified on the cited page; federal complaint processes include timelines in guidance from federal agencies.
The city page does not list fines or daily penalties for web accessibility noncompliance.

Applications & Forms

No municipal remediation fee form or specific web-accessibility violation ticket form is published on the cited city page; if needed, departments typically accept complaints through an accessibility contact form or the Office of Innovation and Technology intake process City digital accessibility[1].

Action Steps for Departments

  • Assign a site owner and include accessibility requirements in vendor contracts and procurement documents.
  • Run an initial accessibility audit and classify issues as critical, major, or minor.
  • Create a remediation plan with deadlines and public reporting milestones.
  • Budget for fixes, testing, and training in annual department plans.

FAQ

What standard should Philadelphia city websites meet?
City guidance recommends WCAG 2.1 AA as a baseline; federal guidance such as Section 508 may also apply to specific systems.[2]
How do I report an accessibility problem on a city site?
Report issues to the site contact listed in the accessibility statement or via the Office of Innovation and Technology's digital accessibility contact process.[1]
Are there fines for noncompliance?
Monetary fines are not specified on the city's public accessibility page; federal enforcement remedies remain available under ADA law.

How-To

  1. Inventory: List all pages, documents, apps and content owners.
  2. Assess: Run automated scans and manual tests against WCAG 2.1 AA.
  3. Prioritize: Triage findings into critical, major, and minor items for remediation.
  4. Remediate: Implement fixes, update templates, and retest resolved issues.
  5. Document: Publish an accessibility statement and maintain testing records.
  6. Support: Provide a clear contact and response workflow for reported barriers.

Key Takeaways

  • Adopt WCAG 2.1 AA and document compliance steps.
  • Inventory, test, remediate, and publish an accessibility statement.
  • Provide accessible reporting channels and record responses.

Help and Support / Resources

  1. [1] City of Philadelphia - Digital Accessibility
  2. [2] Section508.gov - Federal accessibility resources

Categories

General Governance and Administration Public Safety Public Health and Welfare Land Use and Zoning Housing and Building Standards Transportation Environmental Protection Parks and Public Spaces Business and Consumer Protection Taxation and Finance Labor and Employment Education Civil Rights and Equity Elections and Campaign Finance Events and Special Uses Signs and Advertising Utilities and Infrastructure Technology and Data