CDHS Digital Accessibility Plan

Our commitment

The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) is dedicated to ensuring our services, resources, and communication are accessible and user-friendly for all Coloradans. We are committed to making our digital content, including websites, mobile apps, social media, and electronic documents, fully accessible to everyone, regardless of ability.

We work to meet community members where they are, ensuring all materials are understandable and easy to navigate for individuals with sensory, cognitive, motor, or mobility challenges. We partner with agencies across the state to keep information consistent and compliant.

For more information about House Bill 21-1110, please read the Governor's Office of Information Technology accessibility FAQs.

How we train our team

We are building a culture of accessibility by providing our staff with the training and tools they need to succeed.

• Intranet Resources: Our team has access to an internal hub featuring how-to guides, software request forms, and on-demand training.
• Skill Building: We are launching a comprehensive training plan that includes:
  • Scheduled live or small-group training sessions.
  • Convenient on-demand courses, videos, and self-service guides.
• Accessible Templates: Staff have access to a digital toolkit with pre-built, compliant templates for meeting minutes, agendas, reports, emails, and slide decks.
• Ongoing Support: We host open-office hours and working group sessions to answer questions, discuss best practices, and share updates.

How we test our content

To maintain high standards, we proactively identify and fix accessibility issues throughout the year. We do:

• Automated & Manual Testing: We regularly use tools like the Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool (WAVE) and WebAIM Contrast Checker.
• Expert Partnerships: We partner with industry experts to perform thorough testing on our websites and applications, ensuring we meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 (Level A and AA).

Our commitment to accessible technology

We ensure the technology we purchase is as accessible as the services we provide.

• Mandatory Standards: All our vendor contracts and requests for proposals (RFPs) include language requiring compliance with accessibility standards (such as WCAG 2.1 AA).
• Vendor Accountability: Before purchasing, we require vendors to:
  • Provide Accessibility Conformance Reports (ACRs) or Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs).
  • Demonstrate their commitment through their policies, processes, and product demos.
  • Agree to contractual obligations to fix accessibility issues and provide roadmaps for future improvements.