Accessibility Progress Report 2025-2026

General

The Administration for Children's Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of children, youth and families through child welfare and juvenile justice services and community supports. The ACS Agency Framework seeks to define and align the agency's priorities and to describe the culture and leadership of the agency. Highlighting our mission in service of children, youth, family and community success, the framework includes seven elements:

Providing Quality Care & Resources
Advancing Equity
Committing to Learning & Improving
Cultivating a Safe Workplace Culture
Developing Leaders
Partnering with Respect
Evolving Based on Lived Experiences

Statement of Commitment

The Administration for Children's Services (ACS) is firmly committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all. Our dedication to disability access is rooted in the belief that everyone, regardless of their abilities, should have equal access to opportunities, information and support. This commitment applies to our workforce and to the programs and services we provide to the public.

Grievance Procedures & Reporting Discrimination

Contact information for members of the public and employees who wish to provide feedback on accessibility issues, anonymously or otherwise, can be found on ACS's public facing website, linked here: ACS - Disability Access Information and/or via the information detailed here: Client Notice of Disability Rights.

New York City Administration for Children's Services ADA Coordinator/Disability Service Facilitator

Local Law 27 of 2016 (found here: Local Law 27) “The head of each agency, in consultation with the mayor's office for people with disabilities, shall designate an employee as such agency's disability service facilitator, to coordinate its efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under the ADA and other federal, state, and local laws and regulations concerning accessibility for persons with disabilities.”
Contact information for ACS's designated employee in accordance with LL 27:

Name: Simone Campbell
ADA Coordinator/Disability Service Facilitator
Office of Equal Employment Opportunity
Address: 110 William Street, New York, NY 10038
Phone: 212-676-7011
Email: simone.campbell2@acs.nyc.gov

Feedback

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of our digital content. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility issues on the ACS Website.

Last Updated: November 12, 2025

ACS Initiatives

ACS has created an educational series titled ADA 101, that seeks to share information on disabilities with the LL12 Committee and other staff with hopes of promoting awareness and guiding the framework of our programs, services and activities.

Beginning December 2024, ADA 101 was distributed summarizing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its provisions. ADA 102 followed further detailing each title of the ADA and examples of disabilities, physical and mental, and key terms used. ADA 103 gave examples of scenarios where members of the public were provided services in compliance with the law.

During this reporting period, March 2025 through March 2026, ADA 104- “Words Matter”- gave a comprehensive guide on language to promote respectful and effective communication with persons with disabilities. The final installment of the ADA series was shared in December 2025, a resource directory listing various city and state government agencies, advocacy groups, and community-based organizations dedicated to supporting disability access.

The series will reconvene to commemorate the ADA anniversary in July 2026. Future installments will educate on each category of Local Law 12 in a similar manner:

Physical Access
Digital Access
Programmatic Access
Effective Communication
Workplace Inclusion

As the agency continues to expand our efforts to improve disability access and education in key areas, ACS plans to create a page on our intranet dedicated to disability access information where staff can learn of our initiatives and available resources.

Progress Report

Physical Access

Ensuring that physical spaces, facilities, and infrastructure are designed and maintained to accommodate people with disabilities.

As of March 2026, we have:

On-going relocation of ACS headquarters to 110 William Street, New York, NY 10038 which includes:

Added seating to main lobby for people with disabilities
Installation of ADA push plates at entrances
Installation of listening devices in interview rooms for clients who are deaf or hard of hearing

By March 2027, we will:

Continue to improve physical accessibility throughout ACS-owned and managed locations
Gather information on physical accessibility throughout ACS-owned and managed locations
Collaboration with MOPD on training for ACS staff on organizing accessible in-person events

Digital Access

Ensuring digital platforms, websites, applications, and online content are accessible to people with disabilities.

As of March 2026, we have:

Submitted budget proposal to Mayor's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for remediation of ACS internal and external digital assets
Developed a project plan for the ACS digital accessibility remediation pipeline, with Phase 1 focused on public-facing assets and Phase 2 on internal websites and applications
Audited the ACS public-facing website for compliance with WCAG 2.2 AA standards
Compiled inventory of ACS public-facing documents and forms for accessibility remediation
Researched potential vendors to remediate all ACS-owned digital assets
Facilitated integration of two ACS-owned websites into the main public-facing website to streamline accessibility compliance
Provisioned Adobe Acrobat Pro access to ACS staff responsible for document creation to support production of accessible content
Developed and disseminated an accessible communication checklist in collaboration with MOPD, incorporating document creation standards and guidance on producing accessible content
Coordinated a two-part training series delivered by MOPD for ACS staff on creating accessible documents
Remediated the OEEO request form for WCAG 2.2 AA compliance, including fixes to alt text, heading hierarchy, ARIA labels, and screen reader accessibility
Published a website accessibility conformance statement specifying WCAG 2.2 AA compliance status and known exceptions as of November 2025

By March 2027, we will:

Finalize vendor onboarding and continue remediation of remaining ACS public-facing digital assets
Assess and procure auditing tools and professional services for ongoing review and remediation of ACS digital assets.
Remediate ACS public-facing forms, and explore converting PDF forms into HTML web-based versions
Audit the ACS intranet and implement applicable accessibility requirements
Develop role-specific accessible content creation checklists for ACS staff, including staff who send mass communications and emails, create brochures and flyers, manage social media, update the intranet or external website, create forms and presentations, produce training materials, host virtual meetings and webinars, and create video content
Integrate accessibility review into digital materials approval and publication workflows to ensure content meets WCAG 2.2 AA standards before distribution
Establish digital accessibility liaisons within each ACS division
Ensure all ACS public-facing videos include audio descriptions where applicable
Incorporate accessibility requirements into future technology procurement and vendor contracts, including VPAT submissions
Collaborate with MOPD on training for ACS staff on organizing accessible virtual events
Collaborate with OTI on training for ACS developers on incorporating accessibility from the start of development
Provide ongoing support to ACS staff on digital accessibility best practices

Effective Communication

Implementing communication strategies and practices that are accessible and easily understood by people with varying disabilities.

As of March 2026, we have:

Distributed ADA 104 “Words Matter” edition to LL12 Committee Members and other ACS staff
Distributed ADA 105 “Disability Resource Directory” edition to LL12 Committee Members and other ACS staff
Coordinated a two-part training series delivered by MOPD for ACS staff on creating accessible documents

By March 2027, we will:

Continue educational series and expand series to wider agency audience
Provide ongoing staff training on accessible and effective communication

Programmatic Access

Making programs, services, events, and public engagements accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities.

As of March 2026, we have:

Collaborated with provider agencies and ACS's Developmental Disabilities Unit (DDU) to table at the 2025 Disability Unite Festival
Initiated the review of ACS Division's responses to the Programmatic Access Questionnaire, including data organization

By March 2027, we will:

Attend and table at the 2026 Disability Unite Festival
Participate in citywide disability inclusion events to build expertise, raise awareness, and enhance access to ACS's programs, services and activities for people with disabilities
Continue assessment of responses to ACS Programmatic Access Questionnaire to identify barriers that prevent access to programs, services and activities
Create customized action plan for each ACS division to address gaps, if identified, during assessment

Workplace Inclusion

Creating an inclusive workplace environment that accommodates persons with disabilities, providing necessary support, accommodations, and fostering an environment of equality.

As of March 2026, we have:

Distributed ADA 104 “Words Matter” edition to LL12 Committee Members and other ACS staff
Distributed ADA 105 “Disability Resource Directory” edition to LL12 Committee Members and other ACS staff
Participated in ACS Racial Equity and Cultural Competence Committee (RECCC) Courageous Conversation on Disability Justice in the Workplace, titled “A Conversation with EEO, HR, QWL & DDU”
Reviewed ACS division responses to the workplace inclusion section of the ACS specific Programmatic Access Questionnaire to assess compliance and identified areas for improvement

By March 2027, we will:

Update standardized reasonable accommodation request language for all job postings and communications; revised wording was shared with ACS's Office of Human Resources and incorporated into job postings beginning April 2026
Collaborate with disability organizations to promote employment and internship opportunities for people with disabilities
Develop a dedicated ACS intranet page consolidating resources, reasonable accommodation process information, relevant contacts, and agency policies to serve as a centralized reference for ACS staff
Incorporate disability etiquette access training into ACS new hire onboarding curriculum
Attend recruitment events focused on connecting people with disabilities to employment
Remediate all OEEO correspondence related to reasonable accommodation requests and Equal Employment Opportunity matters to ensure documents are provided in accessible formats

Conclusion

2026 marks ACS's 30th anniversary and continued commitment to the children and families of New York City. With the finalization of the ACS Five-Year Disability Access Plan, this commitment was furthered by a more intentional effort to continue collaboration between our distinct divisions across the five boroughs of the city. The previous reporting period, March 2024 through March 2025 advanced these efforts, providing training to staff on federal, state and local laws. In line with the Agency Framework, ACS will continue to foster a culture of equity, inclusivity, respect, growth and education.