At a Glance The Situation
Multiple independent audits converge on the same conclusion: laradon.org is approximately 25% compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA — the standard that all three converging legal frameworks require. The answer is unanimous: act now, at minimum Option B ($30K–$100K).
Findings → Urgency Why These Specific Failures Can't Wait
The findings from What We Found aren't just compliance gaps — each one accelerates the timeline or eliminates a defense.
Finding Lorem Ipsum
↓ why it's urgent
Placeholder text on a disability nonprofit's homepage forfeits the good-faith defense under HB21-1110. No court will accept "we're trying" when the homepage has Latin filler. Fix cost: $0, 5 minutes.
Finding Countdown Timer
↓ why it's urgent
Medical risk to the population Laradon serves — seizure disorder is one of the
10 listed disabilities. Every day the timer runs is a day of liability. Fix cost:
$0, remove the widget.
Finding No A11y Statement
↓ why it's urgent
Without a feedback channel, frustrated users become plaintiffs. Publishing a statement is the single fastest way to reduce lawsuit risk. Fix cost: $0, 2 hours of writing.
Finding 0 / 4 Keyboard Tasks
↓ why it's urgent
Zero critical user journeys work by keyboard. Section 504 deadline: 84 days. Title II deadline: 67 days. Vendor lead time for navigation fix: 2–4 weeks minimum.
Deadlines Three Laws Are Converging
"The court shall award to a prevailing plaintiff damages of three thousand five hundred dollars for each violation."
→ Laradon is a state instrumentality: it contracts with
24 public school districts to deliver special education — a core government obligation under IDEA. The
CO OIT FAQ confirms the law covers entities providing services on behalf of government. With 43 findings:
up to $150,500.
→ Full reasoning
"Recipients… must ensure that their web content, mobile applications, and kiosks are accessible to individuals with disabilities, in compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA."
"State and local governments must ensure that the web content and mobile apps they provide to the public meet WCAG Version 2.1, Level AA technical standards."
→ Title II regulates
Laradon's 24 school districts, not Laradon directly. But the
DOJ First Steps Guide states:
"A public entity that uses a contractor must ensure the contractor complies." As districts update procurement for their April 2026 deadline, they’ll require WCAG warranties from vendors like Laradon — or
terminate contracts to protect themselves.
→ Full reasoning
"Good Faith" — Forfeited
HB21-1110 grace extended to July 2025 —
only for good-faith efforts. Lorem ipsum, broken contacts, no statement, zero keyboard nav
7 months past the deadline = the legal shield is gone.
Timeline We're Already Late
Vendor lead time: 12–18 months for third-party remediation (EveryAction, ApplyToJob, EdTech). Section 504 is 84 days away. Even starting today, vendor timelines extend past every deadline on this page.
The math doesn't work. Getting EveryAction to produce a VPAT, remediate their donation forms, and verify compliance takes 12–18 months at best. Section 504 enforcement begins in 84 days. Title II in 67 days. This means Laradon must immediately: (1) request VPATs from all vendors, (2) document remediation timelines in writing, and (3) prepare "Equally Effective Alternate Access Plans" (EEAAPs) for any vendor tool that can't meet the deadline — e.g., a phone donation option if the EveryAction form isn't accessible by May 2026. Waiting even 30 days to begin this process makes compliance functionally impossible.
July 2025
PAST — enforcement active NOW
February 16, 2026
Today (this audit)
7 months past grace period
April 24, 2026 — 67 days
67 days away
May 11, 2026 — 84 days
84 days away
~2028+
Future-proofing: build with
COGA now
Evidence What's on the Site Right Now
These are not hypothetical risks. They're live on laradon.org today.
1
Lorem Ipsum on the Homepage Cognitive Trap
The Events section contains Latin placeholder text — Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet…. For users with IDD, a cognitive trap. For board members and donors, a signal that nobody is reviewing the site.
2
Zero Keyboard Navigation 0 / 4 Tasks
Dropdown menus open on :hover only — no Enter/Space, no aria-expanded. No skip-to-content link. All four critical journeys (donate, find services, apply, buy tickets) fail keyboard-only completion.
3
Countdown Timer Medical Risk
Rapidly changing digits on
Donations,
Ways to Give, and the homepage. No pause, no
prefers-reduced-motion.
Seizure trigger for photosensitive epilepsy. Fails
SC 2.2.1 and 2.2.2.
4
Four Broken Contact Links Dead Ends
On
Contact Us: CEO email empty, Foundation email empty, McCloud → wrong person, Keenan White →
mailtokeenan.white@ appends to URL → 404. A family in crisis hits a dead end.
5
Broken Fundraising Counter QA Failure
Homepage shows "$16 Funds Donated" instead of ~$2.14M. Same QA failure pattern as the lorem ipsum.
6
No Accessibility Statement Legal Gap
No digital accessibility statement. The
/about/ page only covers transportation. A hidden page at
/careers-2/ says "Laradon strives to make laradon.org accessible" — but it's linked from nowhere.
Litigation The Broader Context
Accessibility lawsuits are surging nationally — and technology is accelerating them:
40%
Pro se filings increase (technology-enabled) · Seyfarth Shaw
Laradon's site is transactional (donations, tickets, volunteer intake, job applications) — each touchpoint is a potential vector under the "nexus" theory.
Bottom Line
"Should Laradon invest in web accessibility remediation by April 2026, and if so, how urgently and at what level of investment?"
— Central research question, audit brief
The answer from all audits is unanimous: yes, immediately, at minimum Option B ($30K–$100K). Zero-cost fixes — lorem ipsum, accessibility statement, broken contact links, countdown timer — should begin this week. See The Fix for the full 32-action roadmap.