The City of Thornton is committed to ensuring that its websites and other digital content are accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation or reasonable modification to access any online materials or other digital information, resources, or services, or if you would like to report inaccessible digital content, please contact Digital Accessibility Team at 303-538-7439 or by email at digitalaccessibility@thorntonco.gov. The City will reply to reports of inaccessible digital content and requests for reasonable accommodations and modifications within three business days of receipt.
Digital Accessibility Plan
The purpose of this Plan is to provide formal guidelines, goals, and timelines related to the City’s efforts to improve digital accessibility throughout the City in accordance and in compliance with the Digital Accessibility Law. The Plan will serve as a means of formal documentation of the procedures and progress of compliance. The Plan will also be incorporated into the City’s overall ADA Transition Plan, which is updated annually. The City is committed to making its websites and digital content accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities.
Digital Accessibility Plan [PDF/164KB]
Digital Accessibility Progress-To-Date Report
Updated January 1, 2025
The City of Thornton has taken the following steps toward compliance with the State of Colorado’s digital accessibility law:
- Established a Technology Accessibility Committee - an interdepartmental committee overseeing and guiding the City’s digital accessibility compliance efforts, as further defined in the Digital Accessibility Transition Plan.
- October 1, 2024 Update – The Technology Accessibility Committee continues to meet, plan, and implement additional accessibility compliance efforts on a regular basis, as further defined in the Digital Accessibility Transition Plan.
- January 1, 2025 Update – The Technology Accessibility Committee continues to meet, plan, and implement additional accessibility compliance efforts on a regular basis, as further defined in the Digital Accessibility Transition Plan.
- Digital Accessibility Transition Plan – Created and posted to the City’s website a Digital Accessibility Transition Plan that provides formal guidelines, goals, and timelines related to the City’s efforts to improve digital accessibility throughout the City in accordance and in compliance with the digital accessibility law.
- Technology Accessibility Statement – In accordance with State regulations, posted to the City’s website a digital accessibility statement informing members of the public how to report inaccessible digital content and request a reasonable accommodation or modification.
- Thorntonco.Gov Hosting Migration – Migrated the City’s thorntonco.gov main website to a host site that ensures compliance with the State’s digital accessibility law.
- Thorntonco.Gov Documentation Website Audit – Completed a digital accessibility audit of the City’s thorntonco.gov main website, removed outdated/inaccurate information, and began the process of “remediating” documents in active use to help ensure that they are accessible to individuals in the disability community.
- Engaged a Remediation Vendor – The City has selected a third-party vendor to assist with auditing documentation on City websites, providing digital accessibility compliance reports, and software to “remediate” documentation that is found to be inaccessible. The vendor will complete remediation when necessary and as directed by the City.
- Update October 1, 2024 - The City has initiated the process of completing the site review with the third-party vendor. The vendor has shared their knowledge base resources with City staff.
- Update January 1, 2025 – City staff has met with the vendor and is in the process of configuring the auditing documentation on City website tool. City staff has completed one training on the remediation software and is working to schedule an additional training in January of 2025.
- City-Wide Training Resources and Site Compliance Tool – The City has purchased and implemented a website auditing program to review websites and provide digital accessibility compliance information. This software also offers a variety of technical training for creating accessible content in a variety of programs (i.e. web content, Adobe, Microsoft Suite).
- City of Thornton Websites (non-thorntonco.gov domains) – Completed a feasibility study for transferring existing non-thorntonco.gov websites to the thorntonco.gov hosted site. Sites that can’t be moved to the hosted site will be reviewed and updated so all digital content is accessible to individuals in the disability community. Websites that are moved to the new hosted thorntonco.gov site will be “remediated” during a transition project beginning July of 2024.
- Update October 1, 2024 –The City is analyzing its financial ability to utilize a third-party vendor to assist with migration of non thorntonco.gov domains to the hosted site. A process has been started for sites that were determined best not be moved to the thorntonco.gov hosted site including meetings with City staff and remediation vendors for those sites.
- External Websites that Provide City Services – The City has contacted external website vendors to help ensure their services meet digital accessibility standards and the Technology Accessibility committee is tracking their responses for appropriate follow-up.
- City-Wide Training – All current staff are required to complete City-provided digital accessibility training by June 28, 2024, which outlines their roles and responsibilities under the digital accessibility law and identifies digital accessibility resources available to them. New employees will be required to take this training within one month of their hire date.
- Update October 1, 2024 – The required City training has been completed by over 90% of City staff. Progress reports are being received by the Technology Accessibility meeting on a semi-monthly basis and staff is following up with individuals to ensure completion as soon as possible. In addition to this, based on feedback received from City staff seeking additional digital accessibility resources, the City’s internal intranet page has been updated with additional resources and information placed in an easy to find location on the site for City staff to access.
- Update October 1, 2024 – Other City-provided trainings are being updated to include discussion of digital accessibility, where appropriate. For example, training related to the provision of records under the Colorado Open Records Act now incorporates discussion of digital accessibility.
- Administrative Directive – The City has created an Administrative Directive (i.e., Citywide policy) outlining compliance requirements for City staff as it relates to the digital accessibility law.
- Created a Process for requesting redress for inaccessible digital products including contact options that are not dependent on Web Access or Digital Accessibility that is displayed on all front-facing webpages – This process includes the option to request redress for inaccessible digital content via phone or email.
- Hardware ICT List – Started a catalog of all hardware makes/models the City has and the accessibility features of the devices to help ensure all digital assets are reviewed, prioritized, and updated as necessary to comply with the digital accessibility law.
- Update October 1, 2024 – Completed and shared the hardware ICT list with City staff. We will continue to update this list as new technology is added to the City’s fleet.