Accessibility Law for Colorado State and Local Government

“We're talking about basic access, not convenience. Access that everybody else that's able-bodied takes for granted. This should be a priority.” – Rep. David Ortiz

At the State of Colorado, we are dedicated to making state government products and services accessible, inclusive, equitable and available to all.

Inaccessible technology can interfere with an individual's ability to obtain and use information quickly and easily. When our digital services are inaccessible, we unfairly exclude people who need to access our information or services.

Accessibility is a commitment to providing equitable access to your services; not an item on a project checklist. It is the responsibility of each state employee and not a single person, team, or agency. This site is your entry to do your part!

Colorado Accessibility Law and the Adopted Rules

In May 2025, OIT amended the final Rules Establishing Technology Accessibility Standards to help clarify and define the standards and compliance parameters of Colorado’s accessibility laws, House Bill 21-1110 and Senate Bill 23-244. The rules are intended to provide a reasonable path to compliance while also providing equitable levels of service to people with disabilities. They are not intended to hamper the availability of government services and information.

Read the Plain Language Guide to the State Technology Accessibility Rules. 

How to Comply with Colorado Accessibility Laws

Public entities can be in compliance with the rules and accessibility law even if they have technology that is not perfectly accessible. 
Your organization can be considered in compliance with the Colorado accessibility rules and law if you:

1. Publish a technology accessibility statement providing two (2) methods of contact to request assistance, and
2. Can meet at least one of the following compliance options:
   1. Meet the technical standards, which means conform with the applicable and achievable WCAG success criteria or relevant Section 508 criteria.
   2. Provide an alternate version that does conform with the technical standards.
   3. Provide reasonable accommodations or modifications.
   4. Publish a plan on your website that demonstrates making progress toward removing accessibility barriers. 
   5. Document that you're using the technology that is the most accessible option of those that meet your business needs (you use the technology that best meets both the accessibility requirements and your business needs).

Things to remember

• Progress, not perfection: Public entities don't have to make all their digital content accessible overnight. However, they must show they are making progress toward accessibility and make it easy for people with disabilities to request assistance.
• Work together if there’s a problem: Public entities are required to post a prominent notice about how to contact them in case of an accessibility issue. Individuals with disabilities can reach out directly for assistance or to report an issue. 
• Prioritize: The rules include exceptions to help public entities prioritize their work. The exceptions enable public entities to focus their resources on improving accessibility for the technology they’re currently using and the new things they purchase or acquire. 
• No requirement to remove inaccessible content: Public entities should not remove inaccessible documents and resources from their websites. Instead, they should ensure that it’s easy for people to find a point of contact if they need to request a reasonable accommodation while working towards making those online resources accessible.
• Compliance with the rules = compliance with the law.
• House Bill 24-1454, also known as the Grace Period Bill, is not an automatic extension of the July 1, 2024 deadline for compliance: Rather, it may provide public entities agencies a one-year grace period to July 1, 2025 of immunity from liability for failure to comply with the digital accessibility standards established in the rules if that agency demonstrates good faith efforts toward compliance or toward resolution of any complaint of noncompliance.

About the Grace Period Bill, HB 24-1454

Grace Period Noncompliance Digital Accessibility Memorandum (Google Doc)

If you’re not able to comply with OIT’s rules, then you can comply with HB 24-1454 until July 1, 2025. By July 1, 2025 everyone must comply with the OIT rules. From now until July 1, 2025, you may comply with the requirements of HB 24-1454 or the OIT Rules. HB 24-1454 expires on July 1, 2025.

Compliance with OIT Rules

• Provide reasonable accommodations or modifications
• Publish a technology accessibility statement providing two (2) methods of contact to request assistance
• Can provide evidence of making good faith progress on your plan to remove accessibility barriers

Compliance with HB 24-1454

• Make good faith efforts to resolve complaints of noncompliance
• Clear, easy to find process for requesting redress, including contact options not dependent on web access
• Post on front-facing web pages a progress-to-date report that is updated quarterly and demonstrates concrete and specific efforts toward compliance with the OIT rules

Enforcement

Compliance with Colorado’s accessibility laws is enforced through the courts. There is no enforcement agency, and there is no requirement to submit documentation to an enforcement agency or comply with audits from an enforcement agency.

An individual with a disability can sue in a Colorado court if they feel that they have experienced discrimination due to a lack of accessibility. The court will determine if there was discrimination and whether the government entity is liable. Discrimination in this case is defined as a failure to comply with the accessibility standards established by the OIT rules. If the government entity is found liable, then the court can order them to fix the accessibility issues and pay a fine of either $3,500 per violation or actual monetary damages. See section 24-34-802 of the Colorado Revised Statutes for more details.

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