Special District Websites That Stay WCAG Compliant
Developed and Maintained by the Accessibility Experts at All Terrain Studios
Table of Contents
- Why We Created This Website
- The SaaS Compliance Gap
- Why Overlay Widgets Make Things Worse
- Our Approach: Built Right from the Start
- We Provide Simple Content Management
- Ongoing Compliance: Not a One-Time Delivery
- Affordable Options for Every District Budget
- We Take WCAG Seriously
- Why Web Accessibility Matters
- All Terrain Studios at a Glance
- Ready to Get Truly Compliant?
Questions? Call (303) 335-0474
Why We Created This Website
After testing dozens of special district websites, we discovered a troubling pattern: even districts paying premium prices or subscribing to Software as a Service (SaaS) providers for “compliant” websites were failing basic accessibility tests. The problem isn’t the districts – it’s the solutions being sold to them.
We built this website template as a better alternative: genuinely compliant, affordable, built specifically for special districts and managed by our accessibility team.
The SaaS Compliance Gap
We audited dozens of websites using popular SaaS platforms marketed as “WCAG compliant.”
Here’s some of the common failures we found:
Test any SaaS-powered district website yourself:
- Install the free Chrome WAVE extension, open a website in Chrome, and run WAVE. Note the number of errors and alerts. Are there more than 0?
- Install the free axe DevTools extension, open a website in Chrome, run a full page scan. Note the total number of issues. Are there more than 0?
- Try navigating with keyboard only but first, move your mouse out of reach so you don’t accidentally grab it when you get stuck. Could you navigate the page easily? Did you get stuck or frustrated at any point and needed your mouse to get unstuck?
Under Federal ADA Title II, CO HB21-1110, CA AB 434, FL Statute 282.603, and NY SB 3114A one error means non-compliance. Most laws allows fines that could add up fast. Predatory legal firms are targeting non-compliant websites across the country.
Read more about testing your website at A Practical, Phased Approach to Test Your Website for Accessibility
The bigger issue is SaaS platforms have built-in limitations, meaning guardrails, you can’t fix. Their templates, their rules. You’re stuck with whatever compliance gaps exist in their system.
Why Overlay Widgets Make Things Worse
Then there’s the overlay widget misconception. Hundreds of companies using overlays were sued in the past year in web accessibility lawsuits. In May 2025 alone 119 Defendants were sued while using a 3rd party accessibility related control (e.g. widget).
Overlay widgets promise easy compliance with a line of code. It sounds appealing until you understand what they actually do (or don’t do).
The reality:
People with disabilities already use their own assistive technology like screen readers, custom browser settings, custom system settings, and alternative keyboards. They don’t need or want your overlay widget – they need and want a properly built website.
Read more about this topic: Accessibility Overlay Widgets are Not the Solution (and What to do Instead)
If you’re using an overlay widget, remove it immediately. It’s not protecting you but it is making you a target.
Our Approach: Built Right from the Start
All Terrain Studios has specialized in WCAG-compliant websites since 2022, along the way we’ve learned how to manually test by working with IAAP-certified professionals and disabled users, and what actually works not just what passes automated tests.
This template is the result of that experience:
Every element on this site has been tested and verified:
The result our our approach is a fast-loading website that meets WCAG 2.2/2.1 AA standards and state-mandated and DOJ requirements without compromises or workarounds.
We Provide Simple Content Management
Your staff doesn’t need to be tech experts to maintain a compliant website.
Your team focuses on content. We ensure it stays compliant.
Ongoing Compliance: Not a One-Time Delivery
Digital accessibility lawsuits are surging across all platforms: custom-coded (non-CMS) websites, Shopify, Wix, WordPress, Magento, and yes SaaS, websites as well.
The common thread? These websites were either:
- Never truly compliant to begin with, or
- Compliant at launch but abandoned without ongoing monitoring and maintenance
The bottom line: A one-time “compliant website” delivery is like a home inspection without home insurance. It tells you the house is fine today, but doesn’t protect you from problems tomorrow.
Our solution: Managed compliance as a service
All template and custom websites include active, ongoing security and compliance management:
Affordable Options for Every District Budget
| Highlights | Managed WCAG-compliance | Fix Existing Website | Custom WCAG-compliant Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Districts needing fast, affordable compliance. | Districts with existing websites that need compliance updates. | Large districts, custom design, complex feature or API requirements, and/or gated pages for Connectors, Municipalities, or Board Members. |
| Details |
We customize this template with your:
|
We’ll audit your website against 100% of WCAG 2.2/2.1 AA criteria then fix accessibility barriers on your existing site. When a large number of barriers are detected, we recommend starting with the most severe then remediating the rest as budget allows. |
Full custom design with district-specific features:
|
| Remediation & Maintenance |
Guaranteed WCAG 2.1 AA compliance from day one. Monthly WCAG compliance reports delivered to your email box generated from automated scans. Remediation of newly introduced errors including basic PDFs.(2) |
Code-level remediation using JavaScript and CSS (where platform allows)(1) Available for additional fee: monthly reports delivered to your email box generated from automated scans and remediation of newly introduced errors including basic PDFs. |
Guaranteed WCAG 2.1 AA compliance from day one. Monthly subscription includes WCAG compliance reports delivered to your email box generated from automated scans and remediation of newly introduced errors including basic PDFs.(2) |
| Timeline | 1-2 weeks from content delivery to launch | 2–3 months from project launch to first iteration of WCAG remediation | 4-6 months from project launch to website launch |
| Ownership | Managed service: you own your content, we own the website. Cancel anytime. | You own your website. We provide audit and remediation services only. | Deployed on our managed VPS web server or your web server. You own the content and the website. |
| Expertise and Learning Requirements |
1 hr of onboarding for each new website manager includes:
| No expertise or learning needed. |
1 hr of onboarding for each new website manager includes:
|
| Legal Support | $1,000 ADA indemnification (upgradeable to $15,000 for additional fee) | $15,000 ADA indemnification available with our WCAG ShieldTM program | $1,000–15,000 ADA indemnification available |
| Cost | Low upfront cost, low monthly subscription fee. | Costly remediation after investing in your existing website. | Higher upfront cost, monthly subscription fee based on needs. |
| Benefits |
Fixed annual cost for:
|
Keep your existing website. Demonstrate good-faith efforts towards WCAG AA compliance. |
Specialized features unique to your District with an unlimited page count. Optional fixed annual cost based on subscription level:
|
| Pricing(3) |
Setup Fee: $2,500(4) Next 8 Districts Monthly Subscription: $150(5) Standard Monthly Subscription: $250(5) |
Manual Audit and Remediation by Accessibility Specialists: as low as $500 Manual Audit by IAAP-certified Professionals: $3,500 |
Starts at: $15,000 Optional Monthly WCAG Subscription: $150–1,200(6) |
| Monthly Subscription Details |
| $15,000 ADA indemnification available with our WCAG ShieldTM program |
Optional: everything in “Managed WCAG-compliance” tier, plus:
Optional, higher tier:
|
| Pricing Details | No hidden fees. Cancel your subscription at any time. | No hidden fees. | No hidden fees. Cancel your optional subscription at any time. |
- Code-level remediation using JavaScript/CSS injection has limitations. SaaS platforms often have built-in restrictions that prevent full WCAG compliance and we’ll be honest upfront if your platform can’t be fully remediated.
- Up to 30-minutes per month included for basic PDF remediation which includes: adding tags, setting reading order, adding alt text to simple images, and setting document properties. Complex PDFs with forms, tables, or charts may require additional services.
- Subject to change at any time and without notice.
- Additional pages = $50/page
- When billed yearly.
- Fee based on several factors including level of indemnification and content assist needs.
We Take WCAG Seriously
Accessibility is our specialty. We’ve written extensive guides to help districts understand and maintain accessibility. Reach out if you have questions or ideas for our next article. We’re always happy to help districts navigate accessibility requirements.
Why Web Accessibility Matters
All Terrain Studios at a Glance
Ready to Get Truly Compliant?
Contact us for: