Edited by Hardik Bhatt, Chief Information Officer, Department of Innovation and Technology;  Karen Tamley, Commissioner, Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, City of Chicago. Contributors: Danielle DuMerer and Matthew Guilford, Department of Innovation & Technology; Laurie Dittman and Joseph Russo, Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, City of Chicago

As state and local governments improve convenience and realize efficiencies by offering more of their services online, they should ensure those services are accessible to all residents, visitors and employees, including those with disabilities. Successfully implementing an accessible technology initiative within local government requires thoughtful strategy, committed leaders, an achievable implementation plan, organizational cooperation, and input from the local disability community.

As part of its Digital Excellence Action Agenda, the City of Chicago (City) is working toward the adopting ICT standards closely based on the Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act Standards (IITAAS), an up-to-date and comprehensive set of technology standards that incorporate the Federal Section 508 standards. To successfully implement these standards, the City-through its Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities and Department of Innovation and Technology-is in the process of implementing an Accessible Technology Program anchored by the following nine strategies:

• Secure commitment to accessibility from the executive office;

• Involve the local disability community in program efforts;

• Identify and adopt comprehensive information and communications technology (ICT) accessibility standards;

• Integrate accessibility into information technology (IT) governance, project management, and procurement processes;

• Train employees on adopted ICT accessibility standards;

• Utilize tools that facilitate adherence to accessibility standards;

• Test products using common assistive technologies;   

• Audit projects and report on progress regularly to ensure compliance; and

• Upgrade assistive technology tools and adapt accessibility standards regularly.