In April of 2024 The U.S. Justice Department issued a ruling updating its regulations for Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).  The ruling added new requirements for compliance concerning website content and mobile apps used by government agencies at all levels. A significant piece of this ruling addressed accessibility issues with PDFs.  Counties similar in size to York were given until April 24, 2026 to have a plan in place to meet the new federal standards. The required compliance standard is now WCAG 2.1, Level AA for all web content and mobile app usage. Here's a link to information about the new requirements.   Fact Sheet: New Rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Governments | ADA.gov.

Doc Access

As a result of the new federal requirements, York County responded by approving the purchase of Doc Access. It is a service through the County's website provider, Civic Plus, which automatically converts all PDFs into accessible, searchable and translatable documents. This service ensures immediate compliance with the most recent federal requirements. This purchase was approved on March 13, 2026 and made operational by the end of March. It's part of York County's ongoing effort to prioritize accessibility and ensure that all citizens can have equal access to important information.