How the North Dakota Legislative Branch Is Future-Proofing Accessibility Ahead of ADA Title II Deadlines

Modernizing Accessibility for North Dakota’s Legislative Website: A Case Study

The North Dakota Legislative Council (NDLC) manages one of the state’s most widely accessed government websites: ndlegis.gov. In anticipation of the April 2026 deadline for ADA Title II compliance, NDLC partnered with Webdrips to audit, remediate, and bring its site into full alignment with WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines.

“Partnering with Webdrips gave us confidence that our accessibility goals were not only achievable, but measurable. Their team helped us modernize key components of our site, improve usability for all users, and prepare for full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance ahead of the federal deadline.”
— IT Manager, North Dakota Legislative Council (placeholder)

The Challenge

In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice finalized new accessibility rules for web content and mobile apps operated by state and local governments. These rules, published under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), require public entities that serve 50,000 or more people to comply with WCAG 2.1 AA by April 24, 2026.

NDLC’s website spans hundreds of pages across multiple layouts and content types — from session video archives and legislator contact tools to bill tracking systems and historical publications. Webdrips was contracted to help evaluate the site’s accessibility posture, recommend improvements, and complete the required remediation work.

Our Approach

Webdrips conducted a comprehensive audit followed by targeted remediation and testing, structured as follows:

Audit Phase (Winter 2024)

• Automated Testing using industry-standard accessibility scanners

• Manual Testing using screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver), keyboard navigation, and mobile AT tools

• Evaluation Against WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria

• VPAT Generation for internal and public documentation

Remediation Phase (Feb 2025 – Sept 2025)

• Addressed content, layout, and template issues identified in the audit

• Implemented accessible markup patterns (headings, labels, ARIA)

• Enhanced visual contrast, focus styles, and semantic structure

• Integrated accessible behaviors for interactive components (accordions, tabs, filters)

• Ensured downloadable documents, forms, and time-based media met the minimum standard or were archived appropriately

The accessibility audit covered more than 15 distinct page layouts and functional components across the NDLC website. Each section was evaluated using a combination of automated tools and manual assistive technology testing. Issues were logged by severity (critical, high, medium) and type (design, code, or content).

Key audited areas included:

• Video Pages (34 issues) – Ensured proper captions, transcripts, descriptive links, and keyboard-accessible playback controls

• Legislative Assembly / Session Layouts (31 issues) – Improved heading structure, ARIA labeling, focus order, and role attributes

• Auditing Tools (24 issues) – Corrected form labeling, keyboard traps, and visual focus indicators in data-heavy interfaces

• Biographies (17 issues) – Resolved image alt text issues, focus visibility, and proper semantic grouping of information

• Search Interface (17 issues) – Addressed contrast failures, missing focus indicators, filter accessibility, and use of ARIA roles

• Constitution / Laws / Admin Code (10 issues) – Improved PDF labeling, linked content structure, and table markup

• Calendar (10 issues) – Enhanced keyboard access, labeling of recurring events, and responsive layout behavior

• Contact Legislators (21 issues) – Rebuilt fieldsets, added ARIA associations, and improved form error visibility

• Contact Forms (5 issues) – Standardized accessible error messaging and ensured consistent labeling across inputs

This section-by-section approach enabled Webdrips to identify shared UI patterns, group issues efficiently, and apply reusable accessibility fixes across the site’s many templates.

Outcomes So Far

As of August 2025, Webdrips has completed approximately 95% of the planned remediation, including:

• Rebuilding nested accordion structures to follow accessible disclosure patterns

• Improving form error handling with ARIA live regions and proper associations

• Remediating contrast and focus visibility issues across multiple themes

• Reviewing and restructuring PDF links, media players, and download behavior

• Auditing and annotating high-traffic pages for screen reader compatibility

NDLC is already benefiting from cleaner code, consistent markup, and improved usability — not just for assistive tech users but for the general public as well.

Final Testing & VPAT

Webdrips will complete a second audit and final VPAT report by early 2026, ahead of the April 24 deadline. This report will document the site's full compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA under Title II of the ADA.

Conclusion

With hundreds of legislative documents, videos, and interactive tools, the NDLC website posed a complex accessibility challenge. Through detailed auditing, collaborative remediation, and continuous testing, Webdrips is helping North Dakota meet — and exceed — federal accessibility requirements.

For other public agencies facing similar deadlines, this project demonstrates that large-scale accessibility can be phased, measurable, and achievable with the right strategy and team.