Take the Lead and Unlock Accessibility

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During a recent webinar, we at Tightrope got personal, sharing our company’s journey to make our products support accessibility guidelines. We’re happy to report that our Cablecast Internet Channels give you everything you need to achieve WCAG 2.1 AA-compliance, and they come complete with a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) and Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR).

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Our journey wasn’t just about the what and why of accessible digital communications, but the how—the messy, real-world, trial-by-error process of actually achieving WCAG compliance for local government video platforms.

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Compliance Matters More Than Ever

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Honestly, digital accessibility and municipal AV workflows don’t typically make for watercooler talk. But maybe they should. With the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)’s recent update to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), cities and community media centers now face real deadlines and real consequences for web content that does not meet accessibility standards. This includes public meetings, on-demand video, and government websites.

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So how do you build a compliant, inclusive digital media experience that serves all residents without blowing your department’s budget or losing sleep over accessibility audits? 

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First, if you’re still relying on accessibility widgets and calling it a day, you’ll want to tune in. The latest DOJ rules, announced in 2024, make it crystal clear: State and local governments, as well as the community media centers they contract with, must provide accessible services across websites and mobile apps. This includes prerecorded meeting videos, council agendas and minutes, and interactive media or streaming platforms.

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And yes, "accessible" means more than just closed captions. We're talking about WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance, which includes proper contrast ratios, screen reader compatibility, keyboard-friendly navigation, and, when it's necessary to understand the content of the video, audio descriptions for visual elements in prerecorded content.

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Accessibility Without the Guesswork

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Whether you’re an IT director, AV specialist, or video systems engineer in local government, you’re probably already wearing too many hats. You need media workflows that are streamlined, scalable, and built for the future. That’s why we unpack the tools and tactics we used, including an independent accessibility audit, to rebuild our Cablecast Internet Channels from the ground up. Cablecast Internet Channels [Link] are our turnkey video streaming sites that host live and on-demand content.

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For example, online accessibility checkers are a set of tools that can help indicate errors on your site and recommend best practices. From unhelpful 'click here' links to thumbnails that blur when zoomed, we cover the fixes that most improve accessibility and DOJ audit outcomes, like screen reader–friendly buttons and keyboard-navigable carousels. We even used them ourselves to help start the process of rebuilding our products with accessibility in mind.

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Collaboration = Compliance at Scale

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Here’s the hard truth: Digital accessibility can’t be siloed in the comms or cable TV department. It has to be baked into the entire organization. That’s why we discuss strategies to build cross-departmental collaboration [link to building successful AV Teams webinar] and integrate accessible video practices into broader local government media strategies.

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Buy-in is critical to success. Your web team, communications staff, AV crew, and community engagement leads all need to be at the table. Not only to meet ADA and WCAG standards, but to expand your city’s reach across streaming platforms and multilingual services, too.

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We also explore how the same infrastructure that supports ADA-compliant streaming can power multilingual audio services, accessible city council meetings, and more inclusive outreach across platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and OTT apps. Real accessibility means serving all your residents, including those who don’t speak English, those who use assistive tech, or those who rely on mobile-first web design.

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Don’t wait until your department is scrambling to meet the deadline. If you’re looking for government media accessibility solutions that are practical, affordable, and future-ready, this webinar is for you.