a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
Five-year accessibility plan. The term "five-year accessibility plan" means an accessibility plan required by subdivision b of this section, utilizing a template to be created by the office.
Office. The term "office" means the mayor's office for people with disabilities, or another agency or office designated by the mayor.
b. Requirements of five-year accessibility plan. Each agency, in consultation with the office, shall develop and implement a five-year accessibility plan. Such plan shall include, at a minimum:
1. The steps the agency is currently taking and will be taking over the next 5 years to ensure that the agency's workplace, services, programs, and activities are accessible to and accommodating and inclusive of persons with disabilities; and
2. Information regarding ongoing projects and projects planned over the next 5 years that are related to improving physical, digital, and programmatic access, and effective communications for persons with disabilities, including, but not limited to: any alterations or structural changes to facilities or premises that are owned and operated by the agency or contracted for use by the agency or otherwise under the agency's jurisdiction; any planned upgrades or investments in technology or tools that will improve accessibility within the agency or access to such agency's services and programs; and any other steps the agency is taking or plans to take to make its programs and services more accessible to and inclusive of persons with disabilities. Budgetary information and timelines relating to such projects shall be included where practicable.
c. Timeline for developing five-year accessibility plans; stakeholder input.
1. No later than December 31, 2023, each agency shall post a proposed five-year accessibility plan on its website and circulate such proposed plan for public comment. In circulating the proposed plan for public comment, each agency, in consultation with the office, shall ensure that stakeholders, community-based organizations, providers, and all other appropriate individuals or entities have an adequate opportunity to provide input on the content of the plan.
2. No later than March 15, 2024, each agency shall post its five-year accessibility plan on its website and provide a copy of such plan to the office.
3. No later than March 30, 2024, the office shall post online and submit all received five-year accessibility plans to the mayor and the speaker of the council.
d. Interim reporting.
1. No later than March 15, 2023, each agency shall post on its website a statement regarding web accessibility and a mechanism for receiving complaints about web accessibility;
2. No later than May 1, 2023, each agency shall submit to the office the name of the office within each agency that shall be responsible for ensuring that the agency's five-year accessibility plan is completed by the deadline, and such office name shall also appear on each agency's respective website.
e. Outreach to the metropolitan transportation authority. The office shall invite the metropolitan transportation authority to develop and submit a five-year accessibility plan.
f. Agency non-completion of five-year accessibility plans.
1. If any agency or entity, including, but not limited to the metropolitan transportation authority does not develop a five-year accessibility plan, the office shall conduct outreach with such agency or entity to share best practices and recommendations regarding accessibility with such agency or entity.
2. No later than 90 days after the outreach required by paragraph 1 of this subdivision, if an agency or entity does not develop a five-year accessibility plan, the office shall post on its website a statement that such agency or entity did not develop such plan and a summary of the best practices and recommendations that the office shared with such agency or entity pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subdivision.
g. Annual reporting. Beginning May 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, each agency shall post on its website a report of the progress such agency has made in the previous fiscal year towards achieving the goals of the agency's five-year accessibility plan. Such reports shall also be submitted to the office, which shall submit such reports to the mayor and the speaker of the council on or before June 30, 2025 and annually thereafter.
h. Triennial reporting. Beginning May 1, 2027, and triennially thereafter, each agency shall post on its website an updated five-year accessibility plan. Such updated plans shall also be submitted to the office, which shall submit such updates to the mayor and the speaker of the council on or before May 15, 2027 and triennially thereafter.
(L.L. 2023/012, 1/21/2023, eff. 1/21/2023)