The Fix — Compliance with Care

At a Glance The Roadmap

The good news: The path forward is clear and well-defined. Phase 1 costs nothing and takes days. Phase 2 addresses the structural issues a developer can fix in weeks. Phase 3 brings in professionals to audit, remediate PDFs, and verify. Phase 4 establishes the ongoing governance that prevents this from happening again. Option B ($30K–$100K) is recommended — it gets Laradon to credible compliance within 90 days.

Zero-Cost This Week

Total Actions

Phases

$30K–$100K

Option B ★

Start today with 7 zero-cost fixes (lorem ipsum, accessibility statement, broken contacts, countdown timer). Then move through three more phases over 8–12 weeks. Three investment options are presented — Option B ($30K–$100K) is recommended.

Phase 1

This Week

Days 1–7 · $0

Lorem ipsum, a11y statement, contacts, timer, lang, counter, annual report

Phase 2

Weeks 2–4

Weeks 2–4 · $8K–$20K

Skip link, nav, focus, alt text, link text, heading fixes, overlay removal

Phase 3

Months 2–3

Weeks 5–12 · $15K–$50K

Professional audit, PDF remediation, EveryAction fixes, ARIA cleanup

Phase 4

Months 4+

Ongoing · $2K–$10K/yr

Vendor VPATs, EdTech audit, monitoring, staff training, governance

Phase 1 This Week (Zero Cost)

These fixes require no budget, no vendor involvement, and no technical expertise beyond WordPress admin access. They can be started today.

Remove lorem ipsum from Events section

Homepage

5-minute fix — eliminates the most embarrassing finding. Verified by multiple audit tools.

Publish accessibility statement with dedicated accessibility@laradon.org feedback email

New page + footer link · Note: /about/ already has ADA/Title VI content (transportation only) — expand to cover the digital estate.

"Legal safety valve" — a frustrated user with a reporting channel is less likely to become a plaintiff.

Fix 4 broken contact links

Families in crisis can reach the right person.

Remove or pause countdown timer

Donations, Ways to Give, Homepage

Eliminates seizure risk + anxiety trigger. WCAG 2.2.1.

Fix fundraising counter ($16 → ~$2.14M)

Homepage

Donor confidence. Currently undermines the $3.5M fundraising message.

Add lang="en" to <html>

All pages (template)

One-line fix. WCAG 3.1.1. Screen readers choose correct pronunciation engine.

Correct Annual Report link (labeled 2024-25 but file is 2022-23)

Foundation

Users get the correct document.

Weeks 2–4 (Developer Tasks)

These require Point A Solutions or a developer with WordPress/Elementor access.

Add skip-to-content link

SC 2.4.1

Eliminates 50–100 extra tab stops per page. Add <a href="#main" class="skip-link">Skip to content</a> as first focusable element.

Remove accessibility overlay

Best practice

Blue wheelchair icon on all pages. Overlays are litigation targets; do not fix underlying issues.

Fix keyboard navigation

SC 2.1.1

Add Enter/Space handlers to dropdown menus + aria-expanded, aria-haspopup. Currently hover-only.

Restore visible focus indicators

SC 2.4.7

Custom CSS overrides defaults — tabbing shows no visible position. Add :focus-visible outlines.

Fix link text — replace "Read More", "View", "Explore", "Learn More"

SC 2.4.4

~20 instances. Use descriptive text or aria-label.

Add alt text to images

SC 1.1.1

Foundation, Contact, School, Careers, Blog — content images have empty alt.

Fix heading hierarchy

SC 1.3.1

Single H1 per page, sequential levels. School page jumps H1→H6; Homepage H1→H3→H6.

Label all form inputs

SC 1.3.1, 3.3.2

Newsletter + contact forms use placeholder-only — add <label for>.

Months 2–3 ($30K–$100K)

Commission professional WCAG 2.2 AA audit

All SC · Budget: $8K–$20K

Formal baseline from certified a11y firm.

Request VPATs from EveryAction & ApplyToJob

SC 4.1.2

Require remediation roadmap as condition of contract renewal.

Consolidate donation flows to single accessible path

SC 3.2.2, 3.3.7

Remove FastAction overlay friction. Currently 5+ paths.

Fix color contrast

SC 1.4.3

Nav links ~3.4:1 on green (fails AA). "Donate Now" borderline at ~4.0:1.

Remediate PDFs (target PDF/UA)

SC 1.1.1, 1.3.1

7 PDFs including ADA/Title VI plan (returns 403). High-probability scrutiny target.

Increase target sizes to ≥24px

SC 2.5.5

Social icons ~20px, close buttons, subscribe button.

Fix ARIA

SC 4.1.2

Invalid aria-expanded, missing aria-controls IDs, nested role/element conflicts.

Make popups proper modals

SC 2.4.11

Add role="dialog", aria-modal, focus trap, Escape to dismiss.

Publish EdTech accessibility info

SC 3.2.6

Families need assurance about learning tools used in classrooms.

Add aria-hidden="true" to hidden duplicate nav

SC 1.3.1, 2.4.1

Prevents screen readers from double-announcing navigation.

Make event calendar keyboard-navigable

SC 2.1.1

Currently mouse-only. Add keyboard month navigation, descriptive links.

Months 4+ (Cultural Change)

Update procurement bylaws

Mandate WCAG 2.1 AA for all future software/digital purchases. Stops new inaccessible tools from entering.

Content creator training

Alt text, heading structure, sensory-safe design. Prevents regressions.

Participatory design testing

Engage Laradon's own community (adults with IDD, students) to test the site. Invaluable feedback + evidence of good faith under CO law.

Review Point A MSA

If MSA requires adherence to standards, delivery of lorem ipsum + basic WCAG violations may constitute breach. Leverage for remediation at vendor's cost.

Obtain EdTech VPATs

All classroom tools (n2y/ULS, LMS, IEP software). Document EEAAPs where needed for Section 504.

Add external link indicators

Warn users when leaving laradon.org. Users with cognitive disabilities are disoriented by unexpected context changes.

Investment Options

Option A: Minimal

$0–$5K · 2–4 weeks

Accessibility statement + feedback email, remove lorem ipsum, fix contact links, pause timer, fix counter, add lang, correct Annual Report link. Best for: "Stop the bleeding" — reduces the most embarrassing findings and the worst reputational risk fast. Does not address structural issues (keyboard nav, focus, contrast, vendor compliance).

Option B: Moderate ★ Recommended

$30K–$100K · 8–12 weeks

Everything in A + professional WCAG 2.2 audit, prioritized remediation sprints, PDF remediation (target PDF/UA), vendor VPAT requests with contract language, re-audit and verification. Best for: Meaningful risk reduction + credible governance story. Gets Laradon to defensible compliance before the May 2026 Section 504 deadline. Provides documentation to show good faith if challenged.

Option C: Comprehensive

$80K–$150K+ · 4–6 months

Everything in B + full navigation/template rebuild, design tokens for contrast/focus, full PDF library remediation, accessibility governance + monitoring, EdTech procurement controls, participatory design testing with Laradon's own community (adults with IDD, students). Best for: Long-term resilience and national leadership positioning. Engaging Laradon's served population as testers serves as powerful evidence of good faith under Colorado law — and produces invaluable real-world feedback no professional audit can replicate.

Owner Assignments

Comms / IT

Accessibility statement, PDF inventory, EdTech disclosure

Point A Solutions

Skip link, nav, focus, headings, ARIA, targets, modals, lang

Content Editors

Link text, alt text, headings, lorem ipsum

Executive / Board

Remove overlay, commission audit, vendor VPATs

HR / Vendor

ApplyToJob fixes

Dev Team

Donation flows, EveryAction

08 The Fix: What & When