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Accessibility Web Standards
This page describes the Office of the Patient Advocate’s (OPA) requirements for all of its web content.
Accessibility
The Office of the Patient Advocate is required by federal and state law to make information intended for the general public accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Certification
California Government Code (GC) Section 11546.7 (Assembly Bill 434) requires the director and chief information officer of each state agency or state entity to certify that the California Health & Human Services Agency/Office of the Patient Advocate’s website is compliant with California GC sections 7405 and 11135.
Background
Federal and state laws and guidelines require the OPA ensures that it’s web content is accessible. Guidelines and laws include:
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (federal)
- Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (federal)
- Government Code 7405 (California)
- Statewide Information Management Manual (SIMM) (California)
OPA staff work to ensure that the OPA’s web content is maximally accessible to everyone, including persons with disabilities. Excluding exceptions indicated in state and federal law, web pages that OPA develops, maintains, procures, or uses must be compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 as indicated below.
Requirements
Without regard to where or how it is made available1, the type of web content2, or the person or entity creating it3, all publicly available OPA web content must comply with WCAG 2.1 at the AA Level.
Exceptions
OPA will consider exceptions if they are permissible under the laws and guidelines5 to which OPA must adhere. In most cases, the only exceptions that OPA can evaluate are “undue burden” exceptions that are allowed in some cases under federal Section 508. In order to consider an undue burden exception:
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- The exception must be requested in writing and submitted to (entity/entities yet to be determined). The request must comply with part E202.6 of federal Section 508.
- When an undue burden exception has been approved, the web site’s manager will ensure the following prior to posting the web content that has been approved for the undue burden exception:
- That the documentation required under part E202.6 has been received and retained.
- That sufficient alternate means have been provided
- That the following ADA notice is placed on all non-conforming web content that has been granted an undue burden exception: If you need assistance accessing web pages or documents, please contact ContactOPA@opacagov.azurewebsites.us or visit OPA’s Website Help page.
Footnotes
1 These standards apply to OPA web content however it is distributed, whether by OPA, its contractors, or by a partner and to any web content that is posted to any OPA website or any contractor website.
2 These standards apply to all web products. Web products include: web pages, websites, electronic documents (e.g., PDF, MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint), multimedia (including live and recorded video and audio), web applications, mobile applications, social media and any other web elements or services.
3 These standards apply to all OPA web content without regard to who created it, whether it was created by OPA staff, contractors, or any partner of affiliate working on behalf of OPA. Content is considered OPA content, if OPA provides direction for the creation of the content; OPA staff time to develop, approve, or maintain the content, or if non-pass-through state or federal funds distributed by OPA are used to create the content.
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