Curb cuts, ramps, and automatic doors help people with disabilities access our buildings. But what makes a PDF, online form, or video accessible to someone with a visual, hearing, cognitive, or motor disability? Access matters in digital spaces, too.
“Digital accessibility is about removing barriers,” said Amy Mintonye Paul, Clackamas ESD communications manager. “Just as a ramp helps ensure someone can enter a building, accessible digital content helps ensure people with disabilities can access the information and services they need.”
Everyone should be able to access Clackamas ESD’s information and services. That commitment reflects our mission and core values — and it’s also required by law. In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice set digital accessibility standards for public agencies. Clackamas ESD has until April 2027 to meet them.
Clackamas ESD is already taking action. Staff from across the agency formed a Digital Accessibility Steering Committee and developed a roadmap for improving accessibility across our digital environment.
Over the past year, dozens of Clackamas ESD staff have participated in digital accessibility trainings and put what they learned to work. They are adding alternative text to images, using properly formatted headings and lists, checking color contrast, and ensuring videos have captions.
Now, Clackamas ESD is taking that learning agencywide. Working with school public relations firm Nichols Strategies, we developed a 30-minute training video that helps staff understand common digital barriers and the steps they can take to make their communications more accessible to people with disabilities.
“Accessibility doesn’t happen by accident,” explained Paul. “A major part of improving our agency’s digital accessibility is giving staff the knowledge and tools to make accessibility part of their everyday work.”
Staff who regularly share digital information with families or the community are now required to complete the training annually. Because it’s available online and can be taken anytime, classroom teachers and other staff can fit it into their schedules and apply what they learn to their everyday work.
Clackamas ESD is sharing the training with partner school districts at no cost as they prepare for the same federal requirements. This extends the project’s reach to schools and communities across the county and removes digital barriers for their students, families, and community members. It’s one more way to ensure everyone has a way in, whether they’re entering a school or visiting its website.
