Accessibility in Tribal Digital Services
Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs), tribal organizations, and Native housing authorities provide essential services to communities across the state. As these organizations secure federal funding and digital service contracts, they must align their platforms with modern web accessibility guidelines.
Ensuring your site is accessible is key to delivering online services like housing forms, education services, and corporate updates to all tribal members.
Step-by-Step Compliance Planning
To align a tribal or corporate platform with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards, organizations should follow a structured remediation plan:
- Conduct an Accessibility Audit: Run automated scanner checks (like Lighthouse or axe-core) to identify low-contrast text, missing alt tags, and keyboard navigation issues.
- Review Keyboard Navigation: Ensure users can navigate the entire site using only the keyboard Tab, Enter, and arrow keys.
- Optimize PDF Documents: Convert legacy paper forms and PDF notices into searchable, structured HTML pages or tagged documents.
- Publish an Accessibility Statement: Add a clear accessibility policy page to the site detailing your commitment, active status, and how users can request help.
By building accessibility directly into the core code, tribal organizations can ensure their websites remain functional for all users, regardless of ability or device limitations.