State law requires state agencies to adhere to federal standards for accessible documents and websites. Find helpful information on meeting those standards.
Update! Effective July 1, 2024, the State of Minnesota has updated the standard to incorporate WCAG 2.1, Level AA. View the updated standard below. Learn more in the Update to State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard Launches July 1 article.
Integral to our function as a government agency is the right of all members of the public to access public information. MNIT is committed to providing access to all individuals – with or without disabilities – who wish to use MNIT websites, documents, applications or services to obtain information or resources.
Some users may not be able to see, hear or process information in particular formats, may have difficulty reading or understanding text, or may not be able to use a keyboard or a mouse. We have developed our information, website, and web content to ensure compatibility with common adaptive technologies by utilizing the State of Minnesota's Accessibility Standard, which is based on Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (as amended) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1, in the development of our products and services.
If information on a MNIT web page, document or application is not accessible to you, please use this email to contact MNIT. In it, please provide your contact information, the URL (i.e., link or web address) of the material and the problem you've experienced. We'll respond with the information you are seeking. In addition, we will ensure the accessibility issue is corrected to avert continuing accessibility problems.
We will continue to review and update our documents, websites, and applications to ensure compliance with current and future standards.
The MNIT website may contain links to non-MNIT publications and web sites. MNIT has no control over the accessibility of these non-MNIT publications and external websites. Links are provided as a service to our audience, in an effort to provide additional information where applicable.
The MNIT team has incorporated accessibility features into the MNIT website. These include:
Most pages on the MNIT website have a simple design, with a similar layout, making site navigation easier.
The Skip Navigation feature allows users to go directly to the substantive content of the web page.
Images on the MNIT website contain alternative text, which assistive technologies can read aloud to the user to provide access to information presented visually.
Text size can be increased with the web browsers text size adjustment feature.
State of Minnesota Accessibility Standard
The goal of the Accessibility Standard is to improve the accessibility and usability of information technology products and services for all government end-users in the State of Minnesota. The standard incorporates the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Supplementing the standard are statutes on public records (363A.42) and continuing education (363A.43) effective January 1, 2013 that can make agencies financially liable for inaccessible records and other documents and course material modified or produced after that date.
Vendors submitting a response to an RFP may need to complete VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) forms. We recommend before completing the forms that all interested parties review the relevant guidance forms in the "Products" tab of the Accessible IT procurement section of this website.
Filing an exception is formally acknowledging that your agency/division is procuring or creating a product or service that is known to not be accessible. The Office of Accessibility will sign, and return, the exception to certify receipt, and file a copy.
If you have questions about accessible technology, or need help, here are a few of the many resources available.
Minnesota's accessibility standard is in response to the accessible technology bill that was signed into law on May 22, 2009, that requires the State to adopt Section 508 standards and Web Content Accessibility guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) at minimum for developing and maintaining accessible statewide information and telecommunications technology systems and services. (Read the final language of HF 1744.)
Here's some background information on the statutory basis for accessibility.
MN STAR Program (System of Technology to Achieve Results) http://www.starprogram.state.mn.us
MN State Services for the Blind
http://www.positivelyminnesota.com/JobSeekers/Blind_or_Visually_Impaired
Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/
Whether you're planning an implementation, have questions about captioning, or need to create accessible documents, visit IT Accessibility for the State of Minnesota on our website. You'll find a toolkit that can help implement accessibility at your organization, along with helpful information, tools, and links to online training and resources.
Social Security Administration Accessibility resources for software developers and electronic content creators - The SSA Accessibility Resource Center offerings include a 129-page document with detailed step-by-step instructions for creating accessible documents in Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007.
