How to make city council agendas and minutes ADA accessible
Agenda packets and minutes are the PDFs cities post most often, and new ones are not covered by the Title II preexisting-document exception. Here is a workflow clerks can use.
1. Fix the source template
Use real Word heading styles for agenda sections, set a document title, add alt text to the seal, and build item lists as lists, not tabs. Export with "Document structure tags for accessibility" turned on.
2. Handle the packet attachments
Staff reports, contracts and scanned exhibits are combined into one packet. Scanned pages need OCR and tagging; third-party attachments you post are still your web content.
3. Validate
Run a PDF/UA checker such as veraPDF or the PAC tool, then manually confirm reading order, headings and alt text. Automated checks can't judge those.
4. Agenda management software
If your agenda platform generates the PDFs, ask the vendor whether its output is tagged and how it tests against WCAG 2.1 AA. ADA.gov notes you remain responsible for vendor-provided content.
5. Minutes and archives
Older minutes kept only for reference in a clearly labeled archive may qualify for the archived-content exception. Minutes you still update or use do not.
How ClearPage helps
- Free: one PDF (up to 25 pages) remediated, with before-and-after veraPDF PDF/UA-1 reports.
- $149: 10 documents, up to 25 pages each.
- $1,500: full-site PDF audit and ranked fix plan (up to 1,000 files).
- $750/mo: ongoing remediation of new and changed PDFs within 48 hours, up to 300 pages a month.
Sources
- ADA.gov: First Steps Toward Complying with the Title II Web Rule (compliance dates as extended in April 2026)
- DOJ interim final rule, Apr. 20, 2026
- 28 CFR part 35, subpart H
Last reviewed 2026-10-20.