SUCCESS STORY
The Challenge: A Roadblock to Language Access
Driving Digital Equity for a State Department of Transportation
A State Department of Transportation (DOT) faced a critical compliance gap. Their digital infrastructure—including essential road safety manuals, construction project updates, and driver licensing resources—was stored in thousands of “locked” PDF documents.
While the DOT had translated these vital resources into six high-demand languages (Spanish, Somali, Hmong, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Karen), the files were not ADA or Section 508 compliant. Screen readers could not navigate the translated text, and the complex engineering diagrams lacked alt-text, effectively “sealing” off essential information from residents with visual and cognitive disabilities.
The Strategy: Unsealing Information for All Residents
The DOT partnered with INGCO International to architect a full-scale Multilingual Document Remediation strategy. They needed more than a technical fix; they needed a partner who understood the “ology” of transportation terminology across seven different languages.
The INGCO Approach:
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The Wordologist™ Audit: We didn’t just run an automated scan. Our specialist team performed a manual deep-dive into the DOT’s digital archives to identify structural barriers in both the English source files and the six translated versions.
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Human-Led Remediation: Using the INGCO Way, we manually tagged thousands of pages, ensuring that complex data tables, maps, and safety icons were fully accessible to assistive technology.
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Linguistic Precision: We ensured that the technical “tags” and metadata were linguistically accurate in all six languages, so a Spanish-speaking screen-reader user would receive the same high-quality experience as an English speaker.
The Results: 20 Years of Experience in Action
INGCO International moved with intention, delivering a fully compliant digital library ahead of the DOT’s federal audit deadline.
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7 Total Languages: Fully remediated and accessible versions of every vital document (English + 6 community languages).
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100% Compliance: All documents met WCAG 2.1 Level AA and Section 508 standards, eliminating the DOT’s legal risk.
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Equitable Access: Thousands of residents with disabilities gained the ability to independently access road safety alerts, licensing requirements, and public hearing schedules for the first time.
The Impact
By partnering with a certified Wordologist™ team, the State DOT transformed their website from a barrier into a bridge. Our lips haven’t been sealed since 2006, and through this project, we ensured the DOT’s vital message of safety and mobility was heard loud and clear by every member of the traveling public.
