We believe accessibility isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a must-have for truly fair community engagement. That’s why we’re happy to share a new feature available to all our customers: you can now easily add an Accessibility Widget to your public-facing pages.
This feature helps government agencies make their online engagement more inclusive and compliant with WCAG and ADA standards. Whether you’re already using PublicInput or just checking us out, here’s what you need to know.
Why Accessibility Widgets Can Help (and Where They Fit In)
As public participation increasingly moves online, it’s critical that everyone—regardless of ability—can take part. Accessibility widgets can support this by offering helpful tools that adjust a page’s appearance or improve navigation for users with visual, motor, or cognitive challenges.
That said, it’s important to understand that not all widgets function the same way—and their effectiveness can vary widely.
There are generally two types of accessibility widget functionality:
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- Assistive Tools: These provide end-users with optional controls like enlarging text, adjusting contrast, or navigating by keyboard. These tools offer convenience but often replicate features already available through browsers or operating systems. Still, having them easily accessible on a page can improve the user experience, especially for those unfamiliar with system-level settings.
- Structural Overlays: Some widgets, like accessiBe, go further by injecting JavaScript into a site to automatically “fix” underlying accessibility issues in real time. These overlays attempt to retrofit accessibility, but their effectiveness is inconsistent and often limited to only a subset of potential issues. They can also introduce new complications or conflicts, and are generally not recommended as a substitute for fixing accessibility at the source.
In fact, many in the accessibility community view overlays skeptically. Their presence may suggest that a site is trying to patch over deeper issues rather than truly committing to accessibility best practices.
Meet the PublicInput Accessibility Widget
With that in mind, we’re introducing Sienna, a lightweight, open-source accessibility widget that focuses on user-facing assistive tools—not overlays or code-altering scripts.
This widget offers a quick, no-code way to support a more inclusive experience—especially for users who may benefit from additional customization options.
Key Features Include:
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- Text Resizing: Adjust font sizes for better readability
- Color Contrast Adjustments: Enhance visibility for users with visual impairments
- Keyboard Navigation Support: Improve access for users who rely on keyboards
- Automatic Language Detection: Help users navigate content in their preferred language
Once activated, a simple icon appears in the bottom-left corner of your Public Portal, giving residents an easy way to access these features.
How to Enable the Accessibility Widget
It’s easy to activate:
- Go to Customer Settings after you log in → Custom Styling in your admin dashboard.
- Under Accessibility Widget Setting, pick from:
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- Disabled: (no widget displayed)
- Default (Recommended): Turn on the Sienna widget with one click.
- Custom: Add your own HTML if you have a different solution.
Accessibility Is a Strategy, Not Just a Widget
While the Sienna widget offers a useful boost, it’s just one part of an effective accessibility strategy. Real digital accessibility means designing and managing content with inclusion in mind from the start.
This includes:
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- Writing descriptive alt text for all images
- Choosing color schemes with sufficient contrast
- Using readable font sizes
- Structuring content with proper headings and logical flow
At PublicInput, we design all our tools—from surveys and meetings to engagement dashboards—with accessibility baked in from day one.
Start Building a More Inclusive Experience Today
The accessibility widget is ready for all PublicInput users to enable right now. It’s one more way we’re helping governments create fair and inclusive public participation.
Want to make your engagement pages more accessible? Just log in and turn it on—or connect with us if you’re new and want to see how PublicInput helps communities reach everyone, everywhere.
