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Preparing for Colorado Law HB21-1110

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How to comply with HB21-1110

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Jan 21, 2025

Implications of HB21-1110: Colorado Laws for Persons with Disabilities

House Bill 21-1110, also known as the Colorado Laws for Persons with Disabilities, has significant implications for government agencies across Colorado, mandating improved accessibility standards for individuals with disabilities. The bill amends the Colorado Anti-discrimination Act (CADA), expanding its scope to include digital accessibility requirements for public-facing government technologies. The bill, which addresses both state and local government agencies, aims to provide equal access for all individuals, including those with various disabilities, to government services, programs, and activities. This essay explores the general requirements of HB21-1110, how agencies can comply with its stipulations, who is affected by the law, and the deadlines for compliance, particularly in light of HB24-1454.

General Requirements of HB21-1110

HB21-1110 requires all Colorado government entities, both state and local, to ensure that their technology, including websites, applications, documents, and digital signage, meets accessibility standards for individuals with disabilities. Under the bill, it is considered unlawful discrimination for government agencies to exclude individuals with disabilities from participating in or benefiting from government services and programs. The bill also mandates that government entities develop and implement an accessibility plan by July 1, 2022, and ensure full compliance with the standards outlined by the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) by July 1, 2024.

The new legislation broadens the definition of discrimination to include not only physical access but also digital accessibility. It is no longer enough for government websites and other digital platforms to be accessible only to individuals with vision impairments; they must now be accessible to individuals with all types of disabilities, including those affecting hearing, motor skills, and cognitive functions. This inclusivity expands the protections guaranteed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and sets specific guidelines for how government technology must meet these needs.

How to Comply: WCAG and OIT Standards

To comply with HB21-1110, government entities must align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standards in the creation and publication of online content. WCAG 2.1 is a comprehensive set of guidelines designed to ensure that web content is accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities. The guidelines address four key principles: content must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Specifically, the WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines include rules for:

  • Text alternatives for non-text content (such as images or videos)

  • Keyboard accessibility for all interactive elements

  • Color contrast and text readability

  • Accessible forms and document structures

  • Captions and transcripts for multimedia content

State agencies must submit a written plan to OIT as part of their annual IT roadmap to ensure that accessibility standards are met, with the first submission deadline set for July 1, 2022. Full compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines is required by July 1, 2024, for all online content, including text, images, forms, PDFs, and third-party embedded applications. Local governments are similarly required to develop and implement accessibility plans by July 1, 2024, but they are not required to submit these plans to OIT.

Who is Required to Comply?

HB21-1110 applies to all state and local government entities in Colorado. This includes not only state agencies but also local governments such as cities, counties, and municipal authorities. The law covers any technology used by or procured by these entities, both public-facing and internal-facing. This means that government websites, applications, digital signage, documents, and even hardware like kiosks or communication systems must comply with the established accessibility standards.

For state agencies, the compliance requirements are detailed, including the need to submit a plan to OIT and develop budgets for compliance. Local governments are also required to meet accessibility standards but do not need to submit their plans to OIT. However, they still face the same legal obligations for compliance with accessibility standards.

Compliance Deadlines and HB24-1454 Grace Period

The timeline for compliance with HB21-1110 is clear, with a critical deadline of July 1, 2024, for all government entities to ensure their digital content and platforms meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. However, the recent passage of HB24-1454, known as the Grace Period Bill, provides some flexibility for agencies that demonstrate good faith efforts to comply.

HB24-1454 allows public agencies a potential one-year grace period, extending the compliance deadline to July 1, 2025. This extension applies only if the agency has made reasonable progress toward meeting the standards or is actively working to resolve complaints of noncompliance. The bill does not automatically extend the deadline but rather offers immunity from liability for failure to comply during the grace period, provided the agency is showing tangible efforts toward compliance.

While this grace period provides some relief to public agencies, it should not be seen as an excuse for inaction. Government entities must continue to prioritize accessibility, even during the grace period, and work diligently toward meeting the full compliance requirements by the final deadline.

Document Accessibility 

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Resources

  1. HB21-1110 state faq

  2. HB24-1454 state faq

Additional Resources

Get resources, read articles about accessibility and see how Bench AI can automate the most tedious parts of your workflow.

Additional Resources

Get resources, read articles about accessibility and see how Bench AI can automate the most tedious parts of your workflow.

Additional Resources

Get resources, read articles about accessibility and see how Bench AI can automate the most tedious parts of your workflow.

Automate Your Documents Now

Transform your document accessibility today. Join teams and people like you who've automated their way to perfect compliance.

Automate Your Documents Now

Transform your document accessibility today. Join teams and people like you who've automated their way to perfect compliance.

Automate Your Documents Now

Transform your document accessibility today. Join teams and people like you who've automated their way to perfect compliance.