This annual report highlights key accomplishments of the Board and the continued development and delivery of the Commonwealth’s digital accessibility program from July 2025 through June 2026.
Executive Summary
Accessibility, inclusivity, and usability are essential to integrate and implement to produce and purchase digital services that are equitable and consumable for all. This includes the 26.5% of Massachusetts residents that identify as having a disability and individuals for whom English is not their primary or preferred language. The production, purchasing, and provisioning of accessible and equitable digital assets levels the playing field for all users to locate, interact with, and consume digitized content and channels to participate in programs, services, and activities provided by the Commonwealth. The need to increase and improve accessibility for both internal and external stakeholders is driven by user feedback as well as legal mandates, including Executive Order 614, signed in July of 2023, and the finalized ruling to amend Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act for state and local government entities. Both stipulate the need to provide accessible, inclusive, and usable digital services.
Since the signing of Executive Order 614, the Digital Accessibility and Equity Governance Board has been mobilized to provide insight, oversight and guidance to contribute to the development and sustainability of a statewide digital accessibility program and strategic planning efforts. Three members of the public have been appointed to the Board as of June of 2024. The Commonwealth has hired a Chief Information Technology Accessibility Officer(“CIAO”) to lead the charge of creating a statewide strategic plan and developing and leading a digital accessibility program. The CIAO serves as chair of the Digital Accessibility and Equity Governance Board and has spearheaded initiatives related to policy updates, community outreach, accessibility training, and public reporting during fiscal year 2025 in partnership with Board members and additional stakeholders. The CIAO has also built a team: the Accessibility Center for Consulting, Education and Support Services (“ACCESS”), within the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (“EOTSS”) to support the delivery and implementation of a digital accessibility and equity program for the Executive Branch. The Executive Office of Administration and Finance, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and Executive Office of Health and Human Services have hired Secretariat Information Technology Accessibility Officers (SIAOs) to provide leadership and expertise, advance programs, and broaden coverage within their respective secretariat. The Executive Office of Administration and Finance and Massachusetts Department of Transportation have each hired an additional Accessibility Specialist to support the SIAO.
Awareness and education around the various aspects of accessibility including digital content production, procurement of digital applications, and how individuals with disabilities interact with and consume digital services has increased in response to trainings developed and delivered by the ACCESS team. The updates made to the Enterprise Digital Accessibility Policy will pave the way forward to buying and building software and provide employees with requirements to embed accessibility into their work. The updates made to the design components to create a unified, accessible design system will provide the building blocks to develop software and increase usability for employees and constituents.
In October of 2024, the CIAO, with guidance from the Board, completed the development of a statewide digital accessibility and equity strategic plan. This plan, with specific recommendations, action steps, and requirements, will serve as the foundation to mature digital accessibility. Some SIAOs have begun and other SIAOs will be creating their secretariat implementation plans in partnership with the ACCESS team to align with the statewide strategic plan.
To provide additional support to executive offices and agencies, a new statewide contract, ITS82, was established in June of 2025 to replace ITS61. ITS82 will expand access to external vendor support for digital accessibility for public entities across the Commonwealth.