Colorado gives people with disabilities a court action against state and local governments whose technology falls short of the state's own rules. The rules name WCAG 2.1 AA and require a public accessibility statement.
C.R.S. 24-85-103 (HB21-1110)
8 CCR 1501-11
C.R.S. 24-34-802(1)(c), as amended by HB24-1454
Colorado's law reaches every level of government in the state: state agencies, and local governments with their departments, agencies and special districts. It covers all information and communication technology in active use, internal tools as well as public websites, including technology provided through contracts and licenses.
It does not bind private businesses. They remain under federal ADA Title III and the state's general civil rights law.
Rule 11.5 lets a public entity comply in one of five ways: meet the technical standard, provide a conforming alternate version, give reasonable accommodations or modifications on request without charging for them, publish an accessibility plan showing good faith progress and update it every year, or procure the product that best meets both the standard and the entity's needs. The technical standard is WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA.
Whatever option it picks, the entity must also post a technology accessibility statement in a conspicuous place. Rule 11.6 sets the minimum content: a commitment to removing barriers, a commitment to respond in good time, and a prominent notice on how to request accommodations and report inaccessible technology, with more than one contact method.
There is no enforcement agency and no filing requirement. OIT states that compliance is enforced through the courts: an individual with a disability can sue, and a liable entity can be ordered to fix the problem and pay $3,500 per violation or actual damages. The rules apply to technology in active use from July 1, 2024. HB24-1454, approved on 24 May 2024, gave entities that could show good faith efforts immunity until July 1, 2025. That grace period has ended.
OIT also says platform providers, including vendors, are required to provide a platform compliant with the standards, and the statute places liability for a platform on the entity that manages it.
State law here adds to federal law; it does not replace it. Every city, county, school district and special district in Colorado is bound by the federal Title II web rule, 28 CFR 35.200, which requires WCAG 2.1 Level AA on web content and mobile apps: from April 26, 2027 for public entities of 50,000 people or more, and from April 26, 2028 for smaller entities and special districts. State agencies are bound by the same rule at the earlier date.
Private businesses open to the public answer to ADA Title III. A private plaintiff can sue for an injunction and ask for attorney's fees; the Department of Justice can sue for damages and civil penalties. No federal regulation names a web standard for businesses, so audits use WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 Level AA as the working benchmark.
A Colorado public body: post the Rule 11.6 statement now, pick a compliance option you can defend, and keep the evidence. A vendor selling a platform to one: expect to be asked to show WCAG 2.1 AA conformance and to fix gaps, because your customer carries the liability for the platform it manages.
Checked against the sources on .
This page explains the rules in general terms. It is not legal advice, and it does not tell you whether a rule applies to your organisation. For that, ask a lawyer who practises in the jurisdiction.
