Vigo County wants every resident to be able to use this website and get to county services, regardless of disability. This page explains the standard we build to, where the site currently falls short, and how to get help or tell us about a problem.
The standard we follow
We build to WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the standard named in the U.S. Department of Justice’s rule on web accessibility for state and local government (ADA Title II, published April 2024). Because Vigo County serves more than 50,000 people, the county’s compliance date under that rule is April 26, 2027.
What this site does today
These are verified in this website’s build, not aspirations:
- Every text and interface colour pairing is checked against the WCAG AA contrast minimum automatically, and a build fails if one does not pass.
- A “Skip to main content” link is the first thing keyboard and screen-reader users reach on every page.
- The main menu is operated with real buttons that report their open or closed state, so it works by keyboard.
- Document and meeting searches are ordinary forms that work with JavaScript turned off, and are labelled for screen readers.
- Every document page carries a notice explaining how to request that document in an accessible format.
Where this site falls short right now
We would rather say this plainly than let you discover it:
- Older documents are not accessible. The county’s archive holds thousands of meeting minutes, agendas and reports published before 2024. Most are scans with no readable text layer, so screen readers cannot read them. They are labelled as archived wherever they appear.
- Some forms are still PDFs and Word files. We are converting the forms people actually use into web pages. Until that is finished, some are only available as downloads.
- We have not completed screen-reader testing. Automated checks catch a great deal but not everything, and we have not yet finished testing this site with assistive technology.
- Other websites are outside our control. Some county services run on outside systems — online payments, court records, mapping. Those sites set their own accessibility.
Ask for a document in a format you can use
If you need any county document in a different format — accessible PDF, plain text, large print, or read aloud to you — we will provide it. Call (812) 231-6200, or use the contact details on the relevant department page. Tell us which document you need and the format that works for you.
Tell us about a problem
If any part of this site blocks you, we want to hear about it. Call (812) 231-6200, or use the contact details on the relevant department page.
It helps us fix things faster if you can include:
- the address of the page (copy it from your browser’s address bar)
- what you were trying to do
- what happened instead
- the device, browser, or assistive technology you were using, if you know it
We will confirm we received your message and tell you what we are doing about it.