DOJ Agreement to Improve Web Accessibility at Public Transportation in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
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The United States Justice Department (DOJ) announced recently that it has entered into a settlement agreement (DJ No. 204-24-129) with the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) to resolve alleged violations of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that involve the website and mobile applications for MTD.
This matter is based on a complaint filed by an individual who alleged they have visual impairments and that their ability to access public transportation was significantly curtailed when MTD redesigned its website, www.mtd.org, in such a way that reduced functionality for them and users with visual impairments.
Under the agreement, the MTD must make its website and mobile applications accessible for users with visual and manual impairments. Public transportation users rely on the MTD’s website and mobile applications to plan trips, check arrival times, and find fare information. The agreement requires the MTD to conform its website – www.mtd.org – and mobile applications to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Version 2.1, Level AA. WCAG is a set of voluntary industry guidelines for making information on a website accessible to users with disabilities, particularly those with visual and manual impairments.
Furthermore under the agreement, within twenty-eight (28) calendar days of the Effective Date of this Agreement, MTD will designate an employee or consultant as Web Accessibility Coordinator (WAC) to address web accessibility issues. The designated employee or consultant will be knowledgeable concerning:
accessibility and usability of websites, web content, and mobile applications
testing and evaluation of the accessibility of web pages and mobile applications
and standards published by W3C, including WCAG 2.1 AA.
The WAC will serve as the primary contact for web accessibility issues and concerns raised from any source (internal or external), and will oversee and coordinate implementation of the requirements of this Agreement.
Finally, under the Agreement the MTD must invest a minimum of $100,000 to improve its services for passengers with disabilities. The Agreement did not specify how these funds will be spent.
“Equal access to public transit systems is critically important for the independence of people with disabilities and is required by law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement brings us one step closer to realizing the ADA’s promise of equal opportunity for all people regardless of disability status. The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce federal law to root out discrimination against people with disabilities.”
“This agreement reflects the MTD’s longtime commitment to serving individuals with disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris for the Central District of Illinois. “We appreciate the MTD’s cooperation throughout the investigation and its commitment to quickly make its website and related tools fully accessible. Roughly 30 years after being enacted, the ADA continues to be a very important law protecting the rights of all individuals living and working in our community and its provisions remain relevant as technology and the needs of individuals with disabilities evolve.”
SUMMARY: The DOJ announced that it has entered into a settlement agreement with the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) to resolve alleged violations of Title II of the ADA that involve the website and mobile applications for MTD. Title II of the ADA requires state and local governmental entities like public transportation providers to provide individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from their services, programs and activities.
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