Many state and local governments provide services, or access to their programs and activities, through websites, mobile applications, and the content within.
When these digital assets are not accessible, they can create barriers for individuals with disabilities that prevent them from engaging with their government.
In 2026, a federal mandate will require that all digital assets (web and mobile applications) meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. In conjunction with DHR, ITS was delegated as the Digital Accessibility Coordinator for Idaho.
ITS Privacy Officer/ADA Program Manager Taylor Bothke has been working with internal teams and other state agencies to ensure we are all doing our part to comply with the federal mandate.
After seeing a great need for statewide awareness and training, Taylor provided an online informational training on June 12. It covered an introduction to ADA and primarily focused on providing guidance to agencies on different sections of the final rule and how they can get started on their digital accessibility journey.
This training session reached 174 attendees from 37 agencies across the state. Nearly 25% of participants were ITS employees.
This is another demonstration of ITS employees representing our dedication to connecting citizens with their government. As state employees, we understand our responsibility in creating accessible content and processes for citizen engagement. As a support agency, we acknowledge our critical role in providing key services to other agencies with critical missions that serve Idahoans day in and day out.
If you were unable to attend and are interested in viewing, you can find the recorded Digital Accessibility Training on the ITS YouTube channel.
