Accessibility

Hennepin County is committed to providing digital information and services to everyone, regardless of ability.

We strive to have our digital products and experiences, for both the public and employees, meet international digital accessibility guidelines: W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 levels A and AA, and where possible and relevant, level AAA.

We are also committed to providing physical access including at county buildings. Although we currently don't have that information available on this page, we will share more on our efforts with physical access in the near future.

Get help or report issues

To report an accessibility issue, file a complaint, get help with physical access, and provide accessibility feedback, fill out the ADA grievance form.

Progress

Policy

The county put in place a digital accessibility policy in January 2022. The policy covers internal and external digital products, both interface and end products, whether new or existing, for employees and the public. It states the county's responsibilities include providing employees with training and support to best serve county web users.

Audit and remediation

The county last audited our public website and many of our highest used applications in 2019. We’ve remedied most issues found in the audit and will continue to make enhancements to meet accessibility standards.

Social media and third-party applications

The county posts content on various social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. We provide text alternatives for images and make our content accessible.

The county also uses third-party websites and applications for our surveys, events, email campaigns, and other public engagement efforts.

Although we can’t control the overall accessibility of social media and third-party platforms, we continue to review and look for accessible options and solutions.

Goals

Short-term and long-term plans are being developed or in action to meet the county’s accessibility goals which include:

• Conduct usability testing and community listening programs that are inclusive of people living with disabilities.
• Provide county employees with digital accessibility training according to their role.
• Plan with accessibility in mind throughout a project from beginning to end.
• Influence and hold third-party and external vendors accountable to address accessibility issues with their applications and programs.