Accessibility

Durango School District Accessibility Statement

It is the goal of Durango School District that the information on this website be accessible to individuals with visual, hearing, or cognitive disabilities. Good faith efforts are being made to ensure that our website complies with the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Most pages on our site are available in HTML format, which can be read by screen readers. Some documents are in Adobe PDF format, requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website. Additionally, some documents are in Google Docs and Google Forms. Most modern browsers and screen readers can access Google-based documents. More information about Google web products accessibility can be found on the Google Accessibility website.

To ensure accessibility for everyone in our community, including those with disabilities, Durango School District is taking the following steps:

We are actively identifying and addressing accessibility barriers across our websites and digital platforms.
We request accessibility documentation (such as VPATs – Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates) from vendors whose digital tools or content are used on our websites.
We work with vendors and service providers to ensure they are taking steps toward full compliance with WCAG and Section 504 requirements.
We are committed to ongoing staff training and continuous website improvement.
We regularly review our digital content to align with the Colorado Digital Accessibility Act (C.R.S. 24-34-104) and the latest applicable standards.

If you are unable to access any page or document on our site, please email us. Include the webpage or document URL, your name, email address, and phone number. We will provide the information in an alternative format and work to resolve the issue. Alternatively, you may call the district's main information line at 970-247-5411 and ask to speak with someone in the Communications Department. Include the location of the webpage/document, your name, email address, and phone number so we can provide the information in another format, and address the issue.

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Durango School District’s HB21-1110 Compliance Plan

Website Compliance Plan

Analyze website for compliant and non-compliant elements.
Correct web page structure for compliance.
Apply captions for video content.
Add alt tags as needed.
Analyze PDFs for compliance.
Delegate staff roles to bring PDFs into compliance.
Apply for and receive SIPU grant for Allyant compliance software.
Durango School District to use Allyant Product “CommonLook Suite” to bring PDFs to Compliance.
Durango School District to fix PDF Issues as needed.

Staff Training

Durango School District will identify staff training scope and needs.
Durango School District will develop, or partner with a provider for, a staff training component for all staff-required training done internally.
Durango School District to incorporate all staff training into new hire onboarding.
Durango School District to provide annual refresher training to all staff.

Accessibility for Digital Resources Foundations
Accessibility with Google Tools
Accessibility with student facing Chromebooks, tablets, and other digital devices

Application/Software Compliance

Durango School District to develop vendor vetting process & protocols for all application requests.
Durango School District to send vendor HB21-1110 Accessibility form to all vendors before approval.
Vendors shall comply or Durango School District will apply for the Undue Burden, Fundamental Alteration, or Direct Threat/EEAAP Documentation Protocol.

Documents and Other Digital Resource Compliance

Durango School District to check for accessibility in all published documents.
Durango School District to use Canva Accessibility checker for all created Canva Documents/Resources.

person working at desk with laptop in foreground

Give Us Feedback

If you have feedback or concerns about the accessibility of our web pages or material contained within them, please let us know. Please submit our form, or call (970) 247-5411 extension 1410.

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Progress Reports

July 2025 Quarterly Progress Report

In the second quarter of 2025, Durango School District continued implementing HB21-1110 compliance measures, with emphasis on web content remediation, policy development, and staff training. Grackle scans conducted on June 6 showed that only a small number of inaccessible PDFs remained on district and school websites. Departments were provided updated scan reports identifying their areas of responsibility, and new file-naming conventions were introduced to clearly mark accessible PDFs. The district also began piloting Grackle Go to allow employees to quickly assess the accessibility of existing documents.

To address website accessibility, members of the District Accessibility Plan Committee reviewed all published web pages and began unpublishing any school or department pages that were not fully accessible. Staff were asked to revise content in draft mode and republish once issues are corrected. In June, the district subscribed to Edlio’s Accessibility Checker following a successful pilot, giving schools and departments an additional tool to identify and remediate issues. The committee also evaluated AudioEye but determined it does not address source code compliance.

Policy development advanced in several areas. Policies were drafted to clarify which committees must post agendas and minutes, and to develop standard accommodation statements for email signatures and digital communications. For special education, the district prepared accessibility language for future contracts with Enrich and drafted interim accommodation statements for IEPs generated in non-accessible formats.

Additional resources were launched and expanded in Q2. The Accessibility Resource Page on Staff Connection went live with tools, templates, and an Accessible Document Flow Chart. Work also began on standardized templates for newsletters, slideshows, and other communications, along with guidance for converting PDF-based calendars into accessible formats. Professional development planning continued for fall, with accessibility sessions scheduled for PoG Academy and new hire onboarding. School accessibility contacts were also formally introduced to support communication and accountability at the site level.

April 2025 Quarterly Progress Report

In Q1 2025, Durango School District made measurable progress toward meeting the July 1, 2025, compliance deadline for HB21-1110. Accessibility training was provided to school and department leaders in January, and districtwide Grackle Workspace training was successfully rolled out to all faculty and staff who create digital content. Schools also began phased remediation of PDFs, supported by the new Grackle Scan reporting tools that made it easier to identify and correct inaccessible files.

Members of the District Accessibility Plan Committee (DAPC) completed an accessibility audit of the district's 400+ software programs; documented areas where accessibility progress was still needed; and prioritized the continued remediation of public-facing websites, newsletters, and PDFs. Work also began on drafting districtwide accessibility policies covering websites, communications, procurement, and classroom digital content. Communications efforts expanded as well, with the adoption of an accessibility mission statement, creation of an Accessibility FAQ, publication of weekly accessibility tips in the staff newsletter, and development of an Accessibility Resource web page to provide staff with centralized tools and training.

The DAPC roster was updated in March 2025, clarifying areas of oversight (Technology, Training, Communications, Legal, Special Education, Charter Schools, Board compliance, etc.), and it was determined that each school should appoint accessibility liaisons to support staff and oversee compliance tasks.

January 2025 Quarterly Progress Report

Durango School District's District Accessibility Plan Committee met four times in Q4 2024, with several additional meetings taking place among smaller groups of committee members to accomplish specific tasks. Committee members worked on the following:

Began an accessibility audit of the 400+ software programs and apps used by district employees
Started researching the accessibility needs of teachers' classroom web pages
Worked with legal counsel to determine the district’s liability for the accessibility of partner schools’ websites
Looked into third-party options for PDF remediation, including hiring a vendor to remediate PDFs externally and purchasing software licenses to support internal remediation
Beta tested Edlio’s Accessibility feature for news stories and inquired about the rollout timeline of Edlio's Accessibility checker for web pages

Additionally, Durango School District purchased licenses for Grackle Scan and Grackle Workspace in early November 2024.

Grackle Scans were performed on the durangoschools.org website on Nov. 19, 2024, and Dec. 10, 2024, and reports were used to identify non-accessible PDFs on the district website. Departments and schools within DSD removed outdated PDFs from their web pages by Dec. 15, 2025, and began remediating non-accessible PDFs.
The Accessibility Committee completed training in Grackle Workspace on Dec. 17, 2024, with plans to roll the training out to the rest of the district in Q1 2025 – first to administrators, then to all faculty and staff who create digital content.

October 2024 Quarterly Progress Report

Durango School District has established a District Accessibility Plan Committee, consisting to department representatives including: Technology, Curriculum, Finance, Human Resources, Operations, Student Support Services, Communications, to develop plans, protocols, and criteria to address the various impacts and applications of HB21-1110. Discussions include: PDF remediation or replacement, software and app procurement protocols, financial impacts, staff training, website access protocols, and more.

We are meeting with Grackle and are seeking additional information about services and software that they offer, and how it can address our accessibility compliance.

July 2024 Quarterly Progress Report

Durango School District has initiated manual review and remediation of all district website pages, including:

incorporating correct header structure
applying and correcting alt tag information
PDF initial analysis

The district is developing a long term plan for regular, annual staff education and training on Accessibility requirements.

We are researching long term industry partners to complete regular website audits, as well as document and PDF creation tools to aid staff in producing Accessible documents and communication going forward.

Durango School District has received a SIPA grant for Allyant's Common Look PDF remediation tool, and is deploying those licenses to administrative departments for use in PDF remediation and creation.