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Digital Accessibility Case Study

Jefferson County’s Business Innovation & Technology department engaged Write-Brained to lead a comprehensive digital accessibility compliance initiative in response to Colorado HB 21-1110 requirements.

Project Overview

The consulting engagement involved transforming 300+ internal job aids into Section 508 and WCAG-compliant documents, creating sustainable accessibility workflows, and training staff to maintain compliance standards. A key component included developing comprehensive accessibility training presentations with live demonstrations of the complete document creation process, from Word accessible document development through NVDA screen reader testing validation, ensuring staff could confidently maintain accessibility standards independently.

After completing the initial job aid project two months ahead of schedule, the BIT team recommended Write-Brained to the Digital Accessibility team, who were struggling to find qualified contractors for their thousands of pages of remediation work. This led to an expanded scope remediating public-facing PDFs, including interactive forms, hundreds-of-page reports, and other government documentation—addressing the talent gap and ensuring broad, citizen-inclusive compliance.

Problem

Colorado House Bill 21-1110 established new accessibility requirements for state and local government digital content, with compliance deadlines creating an urgent need for systematic document remediation. Jefferson County’s Business Innovation & Technology department needed an experienced accessibility consultant to ensure 300+ job aids met Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 AA standards while maintaining operational efficiency. The early success and BIT recommendation extended the project to the Digital Accessibility team, who faced challenges sourcing qualified expertise for thousands of public-facing pages, including complex forms and lengthy reports.

Solutions

Comprehensive Accessibility Remediation

  • Performed direct testing and document conversion using Adobe Acrobat Pro and CommonLook

  • Validated Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 AA compliance through assistive technology testing

  • Applied a systematic approach to heading hierarchy, alt text, and reading order optimization for both internal aids and public documents

Standardized Template Development

  • Designed accessible Microsoft Word templates with built-in accessibility features

  • Implemented plain language principles and consistent formatting standards

  • Established content guidelines for ongoing document creation, scalable to forms, reports, and government documents

Sustainable Process Implementation

  • Developed accessibility training presentations with live NVDA screen reader demonstrations

  • Created comprehensive workflow documentation showing Word-to-accessible-PDF processes

  • Collaborated with subject matter experts to refine content and accessibility procedures

  • Established tracking and reporting systems for document status and progress

Results

  • Delivered 2 months early: 300+ job aids converted using custom accessible Word templates, then to compliant PDFs through systematic remediation

  • Universal Document Access: Remediated interactive forms and thousands of pages of government documents, removing accessibility barriers for citizens

  • Training developed from scratch: Developed essential accessibility training materials that were nonexistent but critical for sustained HB 21-1110 compliance

“Melissa delivered exceptional results, completing our accessibility compliance initiative two months ahead of schedule. Her proactive approach in developing training materials we didn’t even know we needed was invaluable. She transformed our entire document workflow and gave our team the tools to maintain compliance long-term.”

—Ruth Kowalczyk, Training & Communications Specialist, Business Innovation & Technology, Jefferson County, CO

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