HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-04-14 - AGENDA REPORTS - PDF ACCESSIBILITY AND REMEDIATION SOFTWAREO
Agenda Item: 8
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
W
AGENDA REPORT
CONSENT CALENDAR
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: April 14, 2026
SUBJECT: PORTABLE DOCUMENT FORMAT ACCESSIBILITY AND
REMEDIATION SOFTWARE
DEPARTMENT: Administrative Services
PRESENTER: Ryan Drake
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Award a three-year contract to CivicPlus, LLC, for the use of the DocAccess PDF
remediation and accessibility application, for a total contract amount not to exceed $83,965.
2. Appropriate funding from the General Fund (Fund 100) to Technology Services expenditure
account 1002200-516101 in the amount of $28,000 in Fiscal Year 2026-27, $27,300 in Fiscal
Year 2027-28, and $28,665 in Fiscal Year 2028-29. Funding for future fiscal years are
contingent upon the appropriations funds by the City Council in the annual budget for such
fiscal year.
3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all contracts and associated documents,
subject to City Attorney review.
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clarita (City) maintains a significant volume of digital documents on its
public -facing websites, including forms, reports, agendas, and supporting materials that are
critical to providing services and information to residents. Many of these documents are in
Portable Document Format (PDF), which, if not properly structured and tagged, can create
barriers for individuals with disabilities who rely on assistive technologies such as screen
readers, keyboard navigation, and alternative text interpretation. Ensuring that these documents
are accessible is required under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 standards. As
municipalities continue to expand digital services, accessibility compliance has become an
increasingly important operational and legal priority.
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Currently, the City hosts more than 20,000 PDF documents across its websites, many of which
may not fully meet current accessibility standards. Without a comprehensive remediation
strategy, inaccessible documents may impede equal access to public information, limit civic
participation, and pose compliance risks. Implementing a centralized, scalable solution for PDF
accessibility is critical to mitigating these risks while supporting the City's commitment to
equitable access for all residents.
DocAccess is a cloud -based PDF remediation and accessibility platform designed to assist
organizations in making digital documents compliant with ADA and WCAG standards. The
platform directly addresses key WCAG success criteria by automatically identifying and
remediating common accessibility issues such as missing document tags, improper heading
structures, lack of alternative text, and incorrect reading order. Through its automated tagging
engine and validation tools, DocAccess helps ensure that PDF documents are perceivable,
operable, understandable, and robust, which are the four core principles of WCAG compliance.
Adopting DocAccess will position the City to systematically address existing accessibility gaps
while establishing a repeatable and defensible process for ongoing compliance. This includes not
only remediating legacy documents, but also ensuring that newly published materials meet
accessibility standards at the time of posting. Implementing this solution aligns with evolving
federal and state expectations for digital accessibility, reduces legal and operational risk, and
supports the City's commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and equitable access to public
services.
The proposed agreement with CivicPlus, LLC, for the DocAccess application will be executed
through a cooperative purchasing contract utilizing The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS)
Contract #220105. This approach satisfies the City's procurement requirements by leveraging a
competitively solicited and publicly awarded contract, enabling the City to obtain favorable
pricing and terms while streamlining the procurement process.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommended actions would appropriate funds for the Technology Services
expenditure account 1002200-516101 in the amount of $28,000 for Fiscal Year 2026-27,
$27,300 in Fiscal Year 2027-28, and $28,665 in Fiscal Year 2028-29.. Funding for future fiscal
years are contingent upon the appropriations funds by the City Council in the annual budget for
such fiscal year.
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