Website accessibility upgrades come at a price for Parks and Rec

The cost of meeting new federal digital accessibility requirements prompted discussion at the Point Roberts Park and Recreation District’s Oct. 6 meeting, where board members considered whether to upgrade the district’s website, seek less expensive alternatives, or operate without a website.

Rich Barron of CivicPlus — a company that offers platforms used by local governments — explained the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, which set standards for making websites and public documents accessible to people with disabilities, including those who use screen readers. The standards cover accessible navigation, readable text and properly formatted PDFs. Barron said the federal compliance deadline is April 2028. The requirements stem from a U.S.

Department of Justice rule under the Americans with Disabilities Act covering state and local government websites and mobile apps.
Barron demonstrated Streamline, a website platform that includes accessibility scanning, meeting document management and technical support, as well as a service to make PDFs accessible. He said the least expensive compliant website offered by major providers costs about $4,200 annually.

Commissioner Bronwyn Glor questioned whether the district needed the platform’s full range of features, given the limited content on the current website. She noted that the district’s most complicated online materials are meeting minutes and questioned whether it made sense to pay thousands of dollars for features it might use only a fraction of the time.

Barron said agencies could handle accessibility remediation themselves, but that would require staff time and effort. “If you're gonna move into the new age of what's required, you have to follow the bare minimum standards,” he said, adding that “there's a cost of doing business.”

A community member raised the possibility of eliminating the website, asking, “So, could we go back to not having a website?” Barron said smaller agencies were divided on whether to continue operating websites, with the decision depending on “their value versus the cost.”

Following the presentation, board members and residents questioned how small public agencies could afford the requirements. Board member Allison Calder said, “It's like the government comes up with a rule and doesn't have a way for people to accomplish their rule before they decide to start fining people, and then everybody gets to scramble.” A resident added, “Compliance is expensive, very expensive.”

Another community member questioned the district’s rising operating costs, recalling a time when board members handled tasks such as mowing the lawn themselves. “We used to not have any employees,” she said. “You guys mowed the lawn or whatever needed to be taken care of, and we just seem to be snowballing the last few years.” The district now has five employees, and its September payroll totaled $11,420, adding to the costs the district must consider as it weighs paying for a compliant website.

Residents raised concerns about how eliminating the website could affect access to community information and suggested seeking taxpayer input before making a decision. The board took no action, and the issue is expected to return as old business at its next meeting.