At a Glance The Opportunity
The narrative flip: Right now, Laradon’s digital presence tells the wrong story — an organization dedicated to disability empowerment hosting a website that excludes people with disabilities. After remediation, the story becomes: “Laradon didn’t just fix a compliance problem. They became the first IDD nonprofit in Colorado to make their entire digital estate accessible.” That’s a press release, a grant narrative, and a donor pitch — all in one.
No IDD-serving nonprofit in Colorado — and possibly nationally — has achieved WCAG 2.2 AA compliance. The bar is remarkably low: only one of three peer organizations even publishes an accessibility statement. Laradon can go from worst-in-class to first-in-class with the same investment that avoids legal exposure.
Findings → Story How Fixing Failures Creates the Narrative
Each technical finding from What We Found is also a narrative opportunity. Fixing the worst barriers creates the most powerful stories.
Fix Remove Lorem Ipsum
↓ becomes
"We reviewed every word on our site to ensure people with IDD can understand our services" → demonstrates care and attention
Fix Add Keyboard Navigation
↓ becomes
"A student with cerebral palsy can now find their school page independently" → mission delivery through digital channels
Fix Remove Countdown Timer
↓ becomes
"A donor with anxiety can give without being pressured by a clock" → accessible giving as a fundraising asset
Fix Publish A11y Statement
↓ becomes
"First IDD nonprofit in CO with a comprehensive accessibility commitment" → national leadership positioning
Risk The Reputational Problem
Laradon's mission is serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Having an inaccessible website creates a devastating narrative contradiction:
"The organization dedicated to serving people with disabilities has a website that discriminates against people with disabilities."
This headline writes itself. A complaint from a parent, a news outlet running a digital accessibility story, or an advocate testing IDD organizations' websites could create significant reputational damage.
!
Lorem Ipsum on Homepage Live Now
Latin placeholder text signals: no quality control, the site isn't a priority,
Point A Solutions delivered incomplete work. Combined with "$16 Funds Donated" counter (actual: ~$2.14M),
broken contact links, and inaccessible ADA/Title VI PDF — the pattern is unmistakable.
Headlines That Write Themselves (If Not Addressed)
"Disability nonprofit ships lorem ipsum on homepage" · "Laradon's ADA/Title VI plan is a PDF that returns a 403 error" · "The contact page emails the wrong person" · "Zero of four critical tasks work by keyboard — at an org serving people with cerebral palsy"
Opportunity The Story We Want to Tell
Draft Press Statement
"Laradon — Colorado's largest IDD service provider — is aligning its digital experience with the same inclusion values it's delivered for 78 years. Our website now works for everyone: the student with autism who needs a calm interface, the parent with cerebral palsy who navigates by keyboard, the donor who uses a screen reader. We're the first IDD-serving nonprofit in Colorado to achieve WCAG 2.2 AA compliance."
1
"Aligning digital with mission"
Laradon is aligning its digital experience with the same inclusion values it delivers in programs.
2
"Accessible giving"
Fewer barriers for families, caregivers, and donors with disabilities. Every donation path works for every user.
3
"First in Colorado"
First IDD-serving nonprofit in Colorado to achieve WCAG 2.2 AA compliance. The bar is low — see peer comparison below.
4
"Grant-ready"
Foundations increasingly ask about digital accessibility in grant applications. Publishing an accessibility statement and audit demonstrates governance maturity.
Framings Narrative Concepts for the Board
These terms were developed during the audit to help board members understand the human impact in plain language. Each one connects a specific site barrier to the lived experience of a person with a disability.
Additional research backing these framings: Accessibility.com: Sensory-Friendly Design, BOIA: ADHD-Friendly Web Design, Adchitects: Design for Neurodiversity.
"Cognitive Trap"
Lorem ipsum acts as a trap for users with IDD who expend mental energy trying to decode nonsensical text
Homepage Events section —
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet…
"Keystroke Tax"
Without skip nav, keyboard users must press Tab 20–30+ times per page just to reach content. Physical fatigue accumulates.
All pages — no <a href="#main"> skip link; 100+ tab stops from duplicate nav DOM
"Visual Shout"
Countdown timers create an overwhelming, constantly-changing stimulus for autistic users that demands attention and forces tab closure
"Legal Safety Valve"
An accessibility statement with feedback channel converts frustrated users into reporters instead of plaintiffs
Currently: no statement, no feedback channel. Hidden text at
/careers-2/ is not linked.
"Flow-Down Liability"
School districts'
Title II obligations flow down to contractors; Laradon's non-compliance risks contract termination
"Good Faith" Forfeiture
Lorem ipsum + basic failures 7 months past
HB21-1110 grace period = demonstrable absence of good faith
Grace period expired July 2025; current date: Feb 2026
Peers Peer Comparison
We compared Laradon to three national IDD-serving nonprofits:
A11y Statement Yes (2019)
WCAG Target 2.0 AA
Feedback info@thearc.org
Easterseals
A11y Statement Partial/legacy
WCAG Target Unknown
Feedback Unknown
Best Buddies
A11y Statement Not found
WCAG Target Unknown
Feedback Unknown
Laradon
A11y Statement No
WCAG Target None
Feedback None
The bar is low. Only one of three peers has a published statement — and it targets the older WCAG 2.0 AA. Achieving WCAG 2.2 AA + publishing a comprehensive statement would make Laradon the national leader among IDD-serving nonprofits.