Government Technology reports…

Governments are developing maps to share information on a variety of topics with the public, but there are necessary considerations to ensure these digital products are accessible for all users.

State and local governments are required by federal law to make digital products — including maps —usable for people with disabilities by April 2027 or April 2028 depending on population size. But they face litigation risks today if they are noncompliant.

The state of Minnesota has been focused on the accessibility of its online products and content for years. In 2019, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) announced a significant effort to make maps accessible. MNIT has established a map accessibility resource center and made training modules available.

The article offers a few tips from the Minnesota experience:

• When trying to create an accessible map, Ewert underlined the importance of first considering the intended message of the map.
• Color is another key feature for GIS teams to address when creating these resources. Officials should use colors with high contrast and test with accessibility checkers, per MNIT’s resource center. Because maps often leverage aerial photography as backgrounds, Ewert emphasized the importance of simplifying base maps so that symbology effectively meets those contrast requirements to be visible for all users.
• Accessibility testing is done before going live with new products in the state, Ewert said.
• In some cases, AI technology can help government make products more accessible. For accessibility work, it’s critical to ensure AI models are using high-quality data.