Accessibility
Gilpin County Technology Accessibility Statement
Contact Us
- Digital Accessibility Accommodation Form
- Email access@gilpincounty.org
- Phone: 303-515-4343
Commitment
Gilpin County is committed to providing equitable access to our services to all community members. Our ongoing accessibility effort works toward being in line with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, level AA criteria as published by the Worldwide Web Consortium. These guidelines not only help make technology accessible to users with sensory, cognitive, and mobility disabilities, but ultimately to all users, regardless of ability.
We welcome comments on how to improve our technology’s accessibility for users with disabilities and for requests for accommodation or modifications to any of our digital services. Upon notice, the County will make all reasonable changes to policies, programs, and digital services to ensure that all residents have an equal opportunity to enjoy the programs and services the County offers.
If you need assistance with a website function or wish to request a reasonable accommodation or reasonable modification, please complete the Digital Accessibility Accommodation Form. Alternatively, you may email access@gilpincounty.org or call the Administrative Assistant to the Board of County Commissioners at (303) 515-4343, Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., to request assistance. As part of your request please include:
- Name of the person initiating the request or identifying the issue
- Address
- Phone number
- A complete description of the specific request or issue.
- Program or location of the issue on the website or digital service.
Auxiliary aids and services are available at all of our locations open to the public. Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service, or activity of the County should call the Administrative Assistant to the Board of County Commissioners at (303) 515-4343, Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and at least 48 hours in advance of a scheduled event, to request assistance.
An accommodation is a reasonable modification or adjustment that enables a qualified person with a disability to enjoy the same access to services, activities, and programs that are enjoyed by persons without disabilities.
- All requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and we will do our best to reply to all communications within two (2) business days.
- Reasonable accommodations or modifications are provided at no cost.
- Accommodation requests that would impose an undue financial, technical or administrative burden to Gilpin County may not be fulfilled as requested.
In the Workplace
Current employees needing workplace accommodation should contact the ADA Coordinator for support.
Prospective employees who have been invited to interview for an employment opportunity should work directly with the person arranging the interview.
How We Are Implementing Accessibility
Website Testing and Remediation
- We conduct automated testing of all webpages for accessibility and quality assurance using Civic Plus' Acquia Optimize tool.
- We contract with third-party manual testers to provide manual accessibility testing and remediation of our website.
- We continue to test and remediate our digital products in an effort to provide continuous improvement of our sites and applications.
- In addition, we make use of tools such as the Color Contrast Checker by Accessible Web and other automated and manual testing tools.
Training
We provide accessibility training to all staff through a regular newsletter, required coursework, monthly meetings on accessibility topics, and regular targeted training. An intranet page dedicated to accessibility resources is also available to staff.
Procurement
We have developed systems and processes to ensure all digital products we procure meet established technical standards by including accessibility assurances in contracts, requiring vendors to complete a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) also known as an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), and validating the accessibility information we receive.
Updated On
This Accessibility Statement was last updated on: 7/14/2025.
Gilpin County Digital Accessibility Transition Plan
Initial version adopted by the Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners on June 25, 2024. Updated with progress made July 15, 2025.
Accessibility Standards
Our ongoing technology accessibility efforts rely on the technical standards provided by:
- 8 CCR 1501-11 Rules Establishing Technology Accessibility Standards
- World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA or higher
- Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Chapter 4
Accessibility Maturity
Gilpin County is at the following accessibility maturity level as of July 1, 2025.
| Check One | Stage | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Inactive | No awareness and recognition of need. At this stage organizations are inventorying their technology, have begun to make investments, etc | |
| Launch | Recognized need organization-wide. Planning initiated, but activities not well organized. |
X | Integrate | Roadmap including timeline is in place, overall organizational approach defined and well organized. |
| Optimize | Incorporated into the whole organization, consistently evaluated, and actions taken on assessment outcomes. |
Progress Since our Last Update
We’ve made great progress since last quarter despite substantial challenges to Gilpin County.
Progress includes:
- Trained staff on how to create accessible documents and emails.
- Trained website editors on how to create accessible web pages.
- Created accessible templates for our board meeting agendas, meeting minutes, resolutions, and Requests for Proposals (RFPs).
- Improved the accessibility of 171 web pages and remediated 306 documents on the website.
Challenges include:
- Limited budget for our program: $100,000
- One administrative FTE manages the website, documentation, procurement, contract and vendor management, communications, and other duties.
Website, GilpinCounty.Colorado.gov
The county identified approximately 152 public-facing web pages as of 6/30/2024. The number of web pages identified increased to 183 as of 3/24/2025. The page count has since decreased to 171 as of 7/1/2025. All of these pages have been remediated by staff to the best of their ability. Our third-party contractor, Perspective Tester, is further remediating these pages based on a manual audit of the pages.
Documents on GilpinCounty.Colorado.gov
The county identified approximately 583 public-facing documents as of 12/26/2024. The number of public-facing documents decreased to 392 as of 3/24/2025. It has further decreased to 316 as of 7/1/2025.
- Number of website documents remediated: 306
- Number of documents remaining on website that need remediation: 10
How We are Implementing Accessibility
Gilpin County is committed to equitable access to services for all residents, including the 23% of Coloradans with one or more functional disabilities. In compliance with state and federal laws such as HB21-1110 and SB23-244, we aim to provide equal access to County programs, services, and activities through accessible websites and digital platforms.
Our values guiding this work are:
- Equity: Reducing barriers to ensure ease of access for all.
- Innovation: Integrating accessibility into digital services using best practices.
- Transparency: Seeking community feedback and communicating progress.
- Education: Training staff and promoting a culture of inclusivity.
- Sustainability: Investing in long-term, proactive accessibility solutions.
This plan outlines our strategic approach to enhancing digital accessibility across County platforms.
Plan Implementation
Maturity Levels
Tasks are categorized as:
- Planned: No policies or resources assigned.
- Resourced: Policies in place with staff and resources assigned.
- Complete: Task finished with ongoing validation and tracking.
Key Definitions
Information and Communications Technology (ICT): Systems and equipment used for electronic data creation, storage, and communication, including computers, websites, applications, videos, and documents.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG): A set of guidelines published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that outlines certain standards for web content accessibility. These guidelines are internationally recognized and address common accessibility barriers such as keyboard navigation, color contrast, and semantic HTML markup for use by screen readers. State and Federal law requires that all counties in Colorado adhere to the latest WCAG standards at Level AA as defined.
Strategic Goals and Major Tasks
Accessibility Statement and Public Communications
- Complete: Published accessibility statement and feedback mechanism on the County website (July 2024). Accessibility Statement.
- Complete: Survey distributed for public feedback on accessibility (August 2024).
- Complete: Communications Plan drafted with digital accessibility considerations (April 2025).
Governance & Roles
- Complete: Digital Content Committee formed to guide accessibility initiatives (December 2024).
- Complete: Digital Content Policy developed to include digital accessibility procedures, website and social media policies (November 2024).
- Complete: Digital Accessibility Coordinators identified and trained (January 2025).
- Complete: Exemption process defined and implemented (April 2025)
- Complete: Tools identified to track digital accessibility issues (March 2025)
Evaluation and Remediation
- Complete: Procured PDF remediation software (April 2024 and January 2025).
- Complete: Conducted initial third-party audit of the County website and corrected major failure points (April 2024).
- Complete: Developed a comprehensive inventory of County web pages and documents (July 2024).
- Complete: Maintenance timeline and automated scanning service established (March 2025).
- Complete: Procured vendor to provide a second third-party audit of the County website and provide remediation services (April 2025).
- Complete: Removed or remediated all documents on the website with the exception of Planning documents (June 2025).
- Planned: Remediate the remaining Planning documents on the website (October 2025).
- Resourced: Developing comprehensive ICT inventory (October 2025) and planning full remediation or removal of non-compliant ICT (December 2025).
We prioritize the order to address technology assets by Community Impact and Strategic impact. Community Impact includes considerations of user impact, usage metrics, and the importance of the technology asset to accessing our programs, services, and activities. Strategic Impact includes considerations of legal requirements, the type of program or service that the technology asset supports, and our plans for continuing / sunsetting / replacing / expanding the technology asset or the program in the future.
- Group 1: High Community Impact + High Strategic Impact = Test/remediate first.
- Group 2: High Community Impact + Low Strategic Impact = Test/remediate next. Plan accommodations first.
- Group 3: Low Community Impact + High Strategic Impact = Test/remediate after Group 2. Plan accommodations next.
- Group 4: Low Community Impact + Low Strategic Impact = Test/remediate last. Put accommodations in place last.
Skills and Training
- Complete: Online training programs procured and launched for staff creating public-facing content (March 2025).
- Complete: In-house repository of digital accessibility resources created (March 2025).
- Complete: Conducted four Word for Accessibility trainings for internal staff (May to June 2025).
- Planned: Onboarding training for new hires (October 2025).
Compliance Reporting
- Complete: Initial plan drafted (June 2024); quarterly updates provided in 2024-2025.
- Planned: Annual updates and public reports starting in 2026.
Procurement and Vendor Management - Complete: Updated procurement and contract policies to include accessibility requirements for ICT vendors (February 2025).
- Resourced: Vendor outreach underway to ensure compliance by October 2025.
Exemptions
Full compliance may not be possible in limited cases due to:
- Undue Burden: Excessive financial or administrative impact.
- Fundamental Alteration: Changes that would fundamentally alter services.
- Direct Threat: Risks to health or safety.
When exemptions apply, the County will document reasons publicly and pursue alternative solutions.
Conclusion
Gilpin County is committed to creating an inclusive digital environment for all residents. This plan will be updated regularly to reflect progress, new standards, and community feedback. We invite ongoing input from residents, staff, and partners to ensure accessible, effective digital services for everyone.
Formal approval
Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners, Sandy Hollingsworth, Chair, July 22, 2025
Gilpin County Accessibility Compliance Progress as of April 1, 2025
Below is Gilpin County’s quarterly update on progress toward digital accessibility.
Accessibility Maturity
Gilpin County is at the following accessibility maturity level as of January 1, 2025.
| Check One | Stage | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Inactive | No awareness and recognition of need. At this stage organizations are inventorying their technology, have begun to make investments, etc | |
| Launch | Recognized need organization-wide. Planning initiated, but activities not well organized. |
X | Integrate | Roadmap including timeline is in place, overall organizational approach defined and well organized. |
| Optimize | Incorporated into the whole organization, consistently evaluated, and actions taken on assessment outcomes. |
Why we are at this stage
We’ve made great progress since HB21-1110 has passed considering substantial challenges to Gilpin County:
- Limited budget for our program: $50,000
- Two administrative FTEs, one of whom was hired in January 2024, manage the website, documentation, procurement, contract and vendor management, communications, and other duties
Organizational measures completed:
- Complete | 4/1/24 – Arrange for a third-party audit of the County website to identify failure points as defined by the WCAG 2.1 at Level AA.
- Complete | 6/1/24 – Following the third-party audit of the County website, correct any failure points.
- Complete | 6/11/24 – Draft and approve an accessibility plan to guide internal planning and implementation efforts for digital accessibility.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Procure and distribute software to staff for the remediation of PDF documents and the drafting of accessible documents.
- Complete| 7/1/24 – Develop and publish an accessibility statement for the Gilpin County website.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Develop a permanent mechanism for the public to provide feedback on accessibility issues, request reasonable accommodations or reasonable modifications, and identify accessibility barriers.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Create a comprehensive inventory of County web pages and documents to include a determination of applicable exemptions.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Create a comprehensive inventory of County web pages and documents.
- Complete and in Progress | 7/1/24, 10/1/24 - Publish quarterly accessibility report
- Complete | 8/26/24 - Submit Proposed Budget for 2025 accessibility needs
- Complete | 9/16/24 - Digital Accessibility Survey shared via Facebook, Nextdoor, Gilpin Observer email newsletter, and website. Twenty-five responses were received from this survey.
- Complete | 9/24/24 - Identify select positions to serve as Digital Accessibility Coordinators for organization.
- Complete | 12/11/24 - Form and provide initial responsibilities for a Digital Content Committee to facilitate the County’s accessibility goals.
- Complete | 11/12/24 - Draft and implement a new digital content policy to include accessibility considerations.
- Complete | 11/12/24 - Update Contract language to include considerations for accessible ICT.
- Complete | 12/10/24 - Approve budget to include funding for accessibility tools and vendors.
- Complete | 12/22/24 - Procure additional document remediation and website scanning software to aid in reaching website accessibility.
- Complete | 3/1/25 – Procure an online training regime for all staff involved in the creation of documents or use of ICT and additional training for staff involved in the creation and distribution of public-facing documents and ICT.
- Complete | 4/1/25 – Arrange for a second third-party audit of the County website to identify failure points as defined by the WCAG 2.1 at Level AA.
- Complete | 3/1/25 – Develop a maintenance timeline and procure an automated scanning service for ongoing audit and remediation of digital content.
- Complete | 4/1/25 – Develop procedures and documentation for the use of exemptions where it is impractical or infeasible to implement accessibility standards.
- Complete | 3/1/25 – Develop and implement tools for the tracking of digital accessibility issues to assist in remediation, planning, and reporting purposes
- Complete | 3/1/25 – Prepare an in-house repository of resources on digital content accessibility for reference and use by staff.
Remediation and Compliance Status
Website, GilpinCounty.Colorado.gov - In Progress
The county has identified approximately 152 public-facing web pages as of 6/30/2024. The number of web pages identified has increased to 183 as of 3/24/2025.
# of pages remediated to reach the WCAG 2.1 Level AA Rating: 57
# of pages remaining: 126
Documents on GilpinCounty.Colorado.gov – In Progress
The county has identified approximately 583 public-facing documents as of 12/26/2024. The number of public-facing documents has decreased to 392 as of 3/24/2025.
# of documents remediated: 195
# of documents remaining that need remediation: 197
Document Templates Created
The county has created templates for four of its frequently used document types.
Training
Twenty-eight (28) staff have completed accessibility training. In addition, Gilpin County’s senior leadership attended a meeting on document accessibility.
Formal approval
Melanie Bleyler, Community Engagement Officer, March 27, 2025
Gilpin County Accessibility Compliance Progress as of January 1, 2025
Below is Gilpin County’s quarterly update on progress toward digital accessibility.
Accessibility Maturity
Gilpin County is at the following accessibility maturity level as of January 1, 2025.
| Check One | Stage | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Inactive | No awareness and recognition of need. At this stage organizations are inventorying their technology, have begun to make investments, etc | |
| Launch | Recognized need organization-wide. Planning initiated, but activities not well organized. |
X | Integrate | Roadmap including timeline is in place, overall organizational approach defined and well organized. |
| Optimize | Incorporated into the whole organization, consistently evaluated, and actions taken on assessment outcomes. |
Why we are at this stage
We’ve made great progress since HB21-1110 has passed considering substantial challenges to Gilpin County:
- Limited budget for our program: $50,000
- Two administrative FTEs, one of whom was hired in January 2024, manage the website, documentation, procurement, contract and vendor management, communications, and other duties
Organizational measures completed:
- Complete | 4/1/24 – Arrange for a third-party audit of the County website to identify failure points as defined by the WCAG 2.1 at Level AA.
- Complete | 6/1/24 – Following the third-party audit of the County website, correct any failure points.
- Complete | 6/11/24 – Draft and approve an accessibility plan to guide internal planning and implementation efforts for digital accessibility.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Procure and distribute software to staff for the remediation of PDF documents and the drafting of accessible documents.
- Complete| 7/1/24 – Develop and publish an accessibility statement for the Gilpin County website.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Develop a permanent mechanism for the public to provide feedback on accessibility issues, request reasonable accommodations or reasonable modifications, and identify accessibility barriers.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Create a comprehensive inventory of County web pages and documents to include a determination of applicable exemptions.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Create a comprehensive inventory of County web pages and documents.
- Complete and in Progress | 7/1/24, 10/1/24 - Publish quarterly accessibility report
- Complete | 8/26/24 - Submit Proposed Budget for 2025 accessibility needs
- Complete | 9/16/24 - Digital Accessibility Survey shared via Facebook, Nextdoor, Gilpin Observer email newsletter, and website. Twenty-five responses were received from this survey.
- Complete | 9/24/24 - Identify select positions to serve as Digital Accessibility Coordinators for organization.
- Complete | 12/11/24 - Form and provide initial responsibilities for a Digital Content Committee to facilitate the County’s accessibility goals.
- Complete | 11/12/24 - Draft and implement a new digital content policy to include accessibility considerations.
- Complete | 11/12/24 - Update Contract language to include considerations for accessible ICT.
- Complete | 12/10/24 - Approve budget to include funding for accessibility tools and vendors.
- Complete | 12/22/24 - Procure additional document remediation and website scanning software to aid in reaching website accessibility.
Remediation and Compliance Status
Website, GilpinCounty.Colorado.gov - In Progress
The county has identified approximately 152 public-facing web pages as of 6/30/2024.
# of pages remediated to reach the WCAG 2.1 Level AA Rating: 42
# of pages remaining: 110
Documents on GilpinCounty.Colorado.gov – In Progress
The county has identified approximately 583 public-facing documents as of 12/26/2024.
# of documents remediated: 147
# of documents remaining that need remediation: 436
Document Templates Created
The county has created templates for four of its frequently used document types.
Formal approval
Melanie Bleyler, Community Engagement Officer, December 26, 2024
Gilpin County Accessibility Compliance Progress as of October 1, 2024
Below is Gilpin County’s quarterly update on progress toward digital accessibility.
Accessibility Maturity
Gilpin County is at the following accessibility maturity level as of October 1, 2024.
| Check One | Stage | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Inactive | No awareness and recognition of need. At this stage organizations are inventorying their technology, have begun to make investments, etc | |
X | Launch | Recognized need organization-wide. Planning initiated, but activities not well organized. |
| Integrate | Roadmap including timeline is in place, overall organizational approach defined and well organized. | |
| Optimize | Incorporated into the whole organization, consistently evaluated, and actions taken on assessment outcomes. |
Why we are at this stage
We’ve made great progress since HB21-1110 has passed considering substantial challenges to Gilpin County:
- Limited budget for our program: $50,000
- Two administrative FTEs, one of whom was hired in January 2024, manage the website, documentation, procurement, contract and vendor management, communications, and other duties
Organizational measures completed:
- Complete | 4/1/24 – Arrange for a third-party audit of the County website to identify failure points as defined by the WCAG 2.1 at Level AA.
- Complete | 6/1/24 – Following the third-party audit of the County website, correct any failure points.
- Complete | 6/11/24 – Draft and approve an accessibility plan to guide internal planning and implementation efforts for digital accessibility.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Procure and distribute software to staff for the remediation of PDF documents and the drafting of accessible documents.
- Complete| 7/1/24 – Develop and publish an accessibility statement for the Gilpin County website.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Develop a permanent mechanism for the public to provide feedback on accessibility issues, request reasonable accommodations or reasonable modifications, and identify accessibility barriers.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Create a comprehensive inventory of County web pages and documents to include a determination of applicable exemptions.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Create a comprehensive inventory of County web pages and documents.
- Complete and in Progress | 7/1/24, 10/1/24 - Publish quarterly accessibility report
- Complete | 8/26/24 - Submit Proposed Budget for 2025 accessibility needs
- Complete | 9/16/24 - Digital Accessibility Survey shared via Facebook, Nextdoor, Gilpin Observer email newsletter, and website. Twenty-five responses were received from this survey.
- Complete | 9/24/24 - Identify select positions to serve as Digital Accessibility Coordinators for organization.
Remediation and Compliance Status
Website, GilpinCounty.Colorado.gov - In Progress
The county has identified approximately 152 public-facing web pages as of 6/30/2024.
# of pages remediated to reach the WCAG 2.1 Level AA Rating: 3
# of pages remaining: 149
Documents on GilpinCounty.Colorado.gov – In Progress
The county has identified approximately 3,481 public-facing documents as of 5/17/2024.
# of documents remediated: 25
# of documents remaining that need remediation: 3,456
Document Templates Created
The county has created templates for four of its frequently used document types.
Formal approval
Melanie Bleyler, Community Engagement Officer, October 1, 2024
Gilpin County Accessibility Compliance Progress as of July 1, 2024
Gilpin County is committed to providing equitable access to all Coloradans. Our ongoing accessibility effort works towards the day when all county services, programs, and activities are accessible, providing equal access to information and services to all Coloradans.
To that end, Gilpin County has a plan to prioritize, evaluate, remediate, and continuously improve every digital touchpoint within our services, programs, and activities.
Below is Gilpin County’s quarterly update on progress toward digital accessibility.
Accessibility Maturity
Gilpin County is at the following accessibility maturity level as of July 1, 2024.
| Check One | Stage | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Inactive | No awareness and recognition of need. At this stage organizations are inventorying their technology, have begun to make investments, etc | |
X | Launch | Recognized need organization-wide. Planning initiated, but activities not well organized. |
| Integrate | Roadmap including timeline is in place, overall organizational approach defined and well organized. | |
| Optimize | Incorporated into the whole organization, consistently evaluated, and actions taken on assessment outcomes. |
Why we are at this stage
We’ve made great progress since HB21-1110 has passed considering substantial challenges to Gilpin County:
- Limited budget for our program: $50,000
- Two administrative FTEs, one of whom was hired in January 2024, manage the website, documentation, procurement, contract and vendor management, communications, and other duties
Organizational measures completed:
- Complete | 4/1/24 – Arrange for a third-party audit of the County website to identify failure points as defined by the WCAG 2.1 at Level AA.
- Complete | 6/1/24 – Following the third-party audit of the County website, correct any failure points.
- Complete | 6/11/24 – Draft and approve an accessibility plan to guide internal planning and implementation efforts for digital accessibility.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Procure and distribute software to staff for the remediation of PDF documents and the drafting of accessible documents.
- Complete| 7/1/24 – Develop and publish an accessibility statement for the Gilpin County website.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Develop a permanent mechanism for the public to provide feedback on accessibility issues, request reasonable accommodations or reasonable modifications, and identify accessibility barriers.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Create a comprehensive inventory of County web pages and documents to include a determination of applicable exemptions.
- Complete | 7/1/24 – Create a comprehensive inventory of County web pages and documents.
- Complete and in Progress | 7/1/24 - Publish quarterly accessibility report
Remediation and Compliance Status
Website, GilpinCounty.Colorado.gov - In Progress
The county has identified approximately 152 public-facing web pages as of 6/30/2024.
# of pages remediated to reach the WCAG 2.1 Level AA Rating: 3
# of pages remaining: 149
Documents on GilpinCounty.Colorado.gov – In Progress
The county has identified approximately 3,481 public-facing documents as of 5/17/2024.
# of documents remediated: 25
# of documents remaining that need remediation: 3,456
Formal approval
Melanie Bleyler, Community Engagement Officer, July 1, 2024