Access to information is a fundamental right, and in today’s world, much of that information is delivered digitally. Recognizing this, Colorado has enacted new digital accessibility laws that require public entities to ensure their websites, digital resources, and online documents are usable by everyone, including people with disabilities.

House Bill 21-1110 was passed to remove barriers that can prevent people with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities from accessing essential public services and information online. For our library district, this means reviewing and updating our website, digital catalogs, and online documents, as well as working closely with online resource vendors to ensure accessibility throughout your experience.

By July 1, all state and local government agencies, including the Grand County Library District, were required to comply with these standards to create a more inclusive digital environment.

The Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology has dedicated itself to supporting a welcoming, inclusive and accessible Colorado for all. Their work isn’t strictly about compliance with the law; it’s about making resources better and easier to use for everyone. When the library district makes accessibility improvements, our resources are easier to use, more flexible, and more inclusive for all of our patrons.

Our website was redesigned and underwent an evaluation process using Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools (WAVE). This tool will show when there are errors that need correction, warnings about potential problems and how to fix them, and features that are useful to screen readers when using our website. If you have questions about that process or the tools used, catch me at our library branches when I am there for Tech Time sessions.

Grand County Library District’s Accessibility Statement spells out the district’s scope of accessibility improvements and what the district is doing to comply with the new law. As of July 2025, the library district is following the standards laid out in Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA as required by law.

It’s important to note that we use over 30 vendors for software products that our staff use in their work, the tools that patrons use to view our catalog, and the online resources that the district makes available, like eBooks, online newspapers, and EBSCO databases.

Our library district also makes several other accommodations available that aren’t covered by the new law mentioned above. You can find information about features available on our public computers, accommodations available in our collections, special services at GCLD.org/accessibility-statement. If a patron comes across an accessibility issue when using our services, they can report those issues on a forms available at the link, or they can report by phone at 970-887-9411 or by emailing accessibility@gcld.org.

So, the next time you use library services, notice the effort put into making them useful, clear, efficient, and inclusive. Think of how a website’s layout affects finding information. If you find it helpful, try out closed captions when watching one of the thousands of movies on Kanopy. You can even look at your own device’s accessibility settings for those that can improve your experience.

John Marte is a digital resources associate with Grand County Library District. He can be reached at jmarte@gcld.org.