CIMcloud Stance on ADA Compliance
For our CIMcloud Platform and CIMcloud Customers Whose Websites CIMcloud Hosts
On March 18th, 2022, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued the Web Accessibility Guidance Under the Americans with Disabilities Act Title III (“ADA”) to ensure that all websites are accessible for users with disabilities.
At CIMcloud, we understand the significance of accessibility, and we strive to ensure that our platform is accessible for all users. We are committed to supporting Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which are recognizable web standards for accessibility.
CIMcloud is open to modification suggestions on the CIMcloud platform for WCAG 2.1 levels.
However, it is important to distinguish between our CIMcloud platform that hosts websites for our customers and the hosted websites which are owned and operated by our customers.
All communications relating to websites owned and operated by CIMcloud’s customers, including the sole responsibility for accessibility compliance for customer websites hosted by CIMcloud, should be addressed solely by CIMcloud customers themselves.
To ensure that your site has complied with the latest WCAG 2.1 standards for compatibility, we highly recommend updating your site to the latest version via our Version Update Process.
Product Stance – Notables
- WCAG Levels A and AA Support
- Our platform is designed and developed to adhere to the requirements set forth by WCAG 2.1 levels A and AA. We have implemented features, design principles, and accessibility best practices within our core product to ensure accessibility for a wide range of users. Note that the DOJ recommends (but does not require) WCAG 2.1 AA.
- By meeting these standards, we strive to provide an accessible experience for all individuals interacting with our platform.
- WCAG 2.1 Level AAA is not supported in CIMcloud’s core product, as this requires continual management of the content and configuration of CIMcloud customer’s websites
- Customer Responsibility for Customizations and Content
- CIMcloud customers are responsible for the accessibility of their customizations, content, and configurations on our platform.
- Our product allows customers to have control over the content and configuration of their site, enabling them to make changes and adjustments to suit their specific needs and preferences for accessibility compliance.
- It is the responsibility of CIMcloud customers to satisfy each of the following:
- to post an Accessibility Statement on its website(s); and
- to verify that any of their websites are compliant with stated accessibility standards (Example: if the customer’s Accessibility Statement states that the website is compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA, the customer is solely responsible for verification that the Accessibility Statement is true and correct.)
- Submitting Requests for Product-Related Compliance
- If CIMcloud’s customers believe that there is an accessibility issue within our core product that affects their ability to comply with WCAG 2.1 A or AA, the customer should submit a ticket to our support team on Extranet.
- We have established a streamlined process to handle such requests, wherein our support team will review and route related tickets to our product team if updates are required. This ensures that our core product-related accessibility issues are appropriately addressed for future updates and improvements.
- Collaboration for Ongoing Improvement
- We value collaboration with our customers and the wider accessibility community in our efforts to improve our platform’s accessibility features.
- We actively seek feedback and engage in dialogue with our customers, accessibility advocates, and experts to identify areas where we can enhance accessibility within our core product consistent with the ADA Title III.
- Ensuring Compliance with the Latest WCAG Updates
- To ensure that your site meets the latest updates to WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA standards, we highly recommend that you are operating on the latest version of our platform.
- CIMcloud customers are solely responsible for reviewing CIMcloud product releases and requesting core version updates to their site to satisfy ADA compliance.
- CIMcloud customers are solely responsible for WCAG 2.1 compliance audits of their site
- Note: There are many third party tools available to streamline this process for you, as well as CIMcloud partners available to help you with this process
- Please reference our Version Update Basics and Version Update Process articles if your site is not on the latest version.
Conclusion
CIMcloud is dedicated to promoting accessibility within our platform’s development and design. We support WCAG 2.1 A and AA and are open to updating our product to enhance compliance within these levels, consistent with ADA.
However, we emphasize that CIMcloud customers are solely responsible for all aspects of ADA accessibility compliance for their site, including their customizations, content, and configurations.
If CIMcloud customers encounter CIMcloud core product-related accessibility issues, customers should submit a ticket to our support team, which will route it through to our product team for evaluation and consideration.
We will introduce future updates to satisfy WCAG 2.1 A and AA guidelines for our core product from time to time as required to maintain compliance.