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Accessibility

Estes Park School District Accessibility StatementWe want everyone who visits the EPSD website to feel welcome and to be able to access the digital content we provide. EPSD is committed to monitor and enhance accessibility for all users. 

What are we doing?

To help us make the EPSD website a positive place for everyone, we've been using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities, and user friendly for everyone.

The guidelines have three levels of accessibility (A, AA and AAA). We are aiming for Level AA compliance, as outlined in House Bill 21-1110, to ensure our website is user-friendly and accessible to people with disabilities.

EPSD Accessibility Plan - Updated October 17, 2024

Objectives: 

  • To ensure our EPSD Website, online content and communication is accessible according to HB21
  • To educate staff and provide support in creating accessible online content.

Action Steps:

  • Put in place a way for stakeholders to contact us if something is not accessible. 
  • Curate resources
  • Educate the Accessibility Team
  • Update Website Accessibility Statement 
  • Investigate the availability of outside resource tools

Please note that some pages on the Estes Park School District website contain links to third-party sites. Estes Park School District is not responsible for the content, facts, opinions or accessibility of third-party sites.

Contact Us

We've worked hard on the EPSD website and monitor the website regularly to maintain accessibility. We encourage individuals to submit feedback  and/or request reasonable accommodations, please get in touch.

970-586-2361 or  EP LISTENS

 

Estes Park School District Accessibility Compliance Plan

Website Compliance Plan

  1. Accessibe will be used to scan the website for accessibility compliance.
  2. Accessibe widget will provide an accessibility adjustment menu for users, allowing them to customize their web experience.
  3. Accessibe will conduct regular scans, providing feedback for manual adjustments as necessary.
  4. Estes Park School District will address all identified issues promptly.
  5. Accessibe will provide an accessibility compliance certificate to Estes Park School District once major issues are resolved.
  6. Accessible was used to scan the website for initial PDF accessibility issues.
  7. Estes Park School District will use Adobe Software to review and adjust PDFs, ensuring all documents are fully compliant with accessibility standards.
  8. All new PDF’s will be checked for compliance before being added to the website.
  9. Estes Park School District will address any identified PDF issues as needed.

Staff Training

  1. Estes Park School District will provide district-wide mandatory accessibility training to all staff.
  2. Accessibility training will be included in the onboarding process for all new hires.
  3. The district will offer annual refresher training to ensure that all staff are updated on accessibility best practices.
  4. Optional training sessions will cover the following:
  • Digital Accessibility Foundations: An introduction to accessibility requirements and principles.
  • Accessibility in Google Workspace Tools: Focused on using accessibility features in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
  • Accessibility in Schoology: Training on ensuring accessible content within the Schoology LMS.

Application Compliance

  1. Estes Park School District will use a Vendor Accessibility Form for all new software and application requests to ensure compatibility with HB21-1110.
  2. The district will review responses and deny requests for non-compliant applications, following guidelines for documenting undue burden or fundamental alteration, if necessary.
  3. Compliance with accessibility standards will be a prerequisite for all new vendor approvals.

Documents and Other Digital Resource Compliance

  1. The Grackle Add-on will be utilized to check for accessibility in all Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides documents.
  2. The Canva Accessibility checker will be used for any documents or resources created in Canva.
  3. Microsoft Office’s built-in accessibility checker will be used as needed for all Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents.
  4. Adobe Acrobat Professional will be used to ensure that PDFs are properly tagged and accessible, with additional support from tools such as CommonLook if necessary.

Ongoing Support and Oversight

Budget Planning: Estes Park School District will request a dedicated budget to support HB21-1110 compliance activities, including:

  • Purchasing necessary tools, resources, and training to ensure ongoing compliance.

Accessibility Maturity Level

Estes Park School District is currently at the Integrate stage of accessibility maturity, with a well-organized approach and a defined roadmap in place. The district plans to optimize accessibility practices in 2024 by embedding them into regular operations and consistently evaluating outcomes.

Rationale for Current Stage:

  • Vendor Non-Compliance: Developing criteria for vendor accessibility assessment and establishing a timeline for phasing out non-compliant tools.
  • Resource Limitations: Exploring grant opportunities for remediation projects and incentives for staff training participation.

Training Deployment

  • Comprehensive training sessions on digital accessibility will be integrated into the district’s staff development programs.

Vendor Management

  • Accessibility requirements and forms will be sent to all vendors with strict timelines for compliance to ensure accessibility features are provided and maintained.

Technology Audits and Remediation

  • Use of Accessibe and Adobe tools for regular audits and remediation of non-compliant PDFs, Google documents, and web content.

Compliance Meetings

  • Regular compliance meetings will be held to monitor progress and address any issues, including an HB21-1110 Updates and Issues Meeting.