How to write accessible meeting minutes

What makes meeting minutes accessible

Accessible meeting minutes are minutes a screen reader can move through the way a sighted reader skims. That means real headings for each agenda item, motions and votes written as short lists or simple tables with header rows, plain language, dates written out, readable attachments, and a posted file with a title and a language.

Minutes are the one meeting document the clerk writes from start to finish, so good habits pay off every meeting. Most of the work happens in the Word template, once. After that, each set of minutes inherits the structure and only needs a quick check before it goes up.

Why minutes are covered

Minutes are covered because they are posted web content that people use to follow what their government decided. Under the ADA Title II web rule, minutes posted after your date generally need to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. The Justice Department chose council minutes as its own example in the small entity guide.

City council meeting minutes created after the date the city must comply with this rule would not fall under the exception, even if they are posted in the “archive” section of the city’s website, because this content was created after the time the city had to comply with this rule.

ADA.gov, small entity guide to the web rule

The federal dates are April 26, 2027 for governments of 50,000 or more, and April 26, 2028 for smaller governments and all special districts. Our guide on agendas and minutes covers older minutes and the exceptions.

Use headings that match the agenda

Headings are the main way a screen reader user jumps around a document, so give each agenda item a real heading, using the same number and name as the agenda. A resident looking for item 7 can then go straight to it, just as a sighted reader scans for bold text.

In Word, use the Styles gallery: Heading 1 for the meeting name and date, Heading 2 for each agenda item, and Heading 3 only if an item has parts, such as a public hearing with staff report, testimony and deliberation. Bold text that looks like a heading is not one to a screen reader. W3C technique PDF9 is how those headings carry into the PDF, and WCAG 2.4.6 asks that headings describe the topic, so “7. Resolution 2026-14, Water Rates” beats “Item 7”.

Write motions and votes so they read clearly

Motions and votes are the part of the minutes people look for most, so write them the same way every time. State the motion, who moved and seconded it, how each member voted, and the result in words. Use a list for a simple vote and a small table with a header row for a roll call.

A simple format that reads well aloud:

• Motion: to adopt Resolution 2026-14, setting water rates for 2027.
• Moved by: Trustee Able. Seconded by: Trustee Baker.
• Vote: 4 yes, 1 no. Result: motion carried.

For a roll call, a table with a header row lets a screen reader announce the column name with each cell, as the W3C tables tutorial explains:

Never show a vote only by color, bold or position. WCAG 1.4.1 says color cannot be the only way information is shown. In Word, mark the first row as a header row and avoid merged cells, so the table tags hold up in the PDF under technique PDF6.

Plain language, names and dates

Plain language makes minutes easier for everyone, including people using screen readers, people reading in a second language and people with cognitive disabilities. Write short sentences in the active voice, spell out an abbreviation the first time, and write dates and times in full, such as October 6, 2026 at 7:02 p.m.

A few habits that help:

• Write “October 6, 2026”, not “10/6/26”, which is harder to hear aloud and which a reader used to other date formats may take as June 10.
• Use full names and titles the first time, such as “Trustee Robin Able”, then the title and last name.
• Spell out terms like “PUD” once: “planned unit development (PUD)”.
• Use the numbered list button for items, not numbers typed by hand, so the list is tagged under W3C technique PDF21.

The federal plain language guidelines cover the writing side in more depth.

Attachments and exhibits

Attachments are where readable minutes most often break. A presentation, a sign-in sheet, a written public comment or a scanned letter added to the minutes needs to be readable too if you post it. Summarize the key point of each exhibit in the minutes, and link to each one with a name that says what it is.

Link text should make sense on its own, such as “Exhibit A, water rate presentation (PDF)”, rather than “click here”. For scanned exhibits, see scanned documents in agenda packets. For maps or charts shown at the meeting, see alt text for maps and site plans.

Post a tagged PDF or an HTML page

Post the minutes as a tagged PDF, an HTML page, or both. Either format can meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA when it is built correctly. A tagged PDF keeps the official page layout. An HTML page reflows on a phone. What matters is that headings, lists and tables survive, and that the file has a title and a language.

From Word, use Save As PDF with document structure tags turned on, not Print to PDF, as Microsoft describes. Set a real title, such as “Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Minutes, October 6, 2026” (W3C PDF18), and set the language to English (PDF16). If you post the signed copy, keep the typed version as the one people read; the scanned documents guide shows how to note signatures in text. Then run the posted file through our free PDF checker.

A worked example: a minutes template outline

A worked example shows how the pieces fit. Here is a short outline for a made-up town we will call Anytown. Build it once as a Word template with the heading styles, list buttons and table header rows already set, and each meeting’s minutes start from a readable file.

1. Heading 1: Town of Anytown, Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Minutes, October 6, 2026
2. Heading 2: Call to order. Time, place, and who presided.
3. Heading 2: Roll call. A list of members present and absent, and staff present.
4. Heading 2: Minutes of the previous meeting. Motion, mover, seconder, vote and result as a list.
5. Heading 2: Public comment. Each speaker’s name, if given, and a one sentence summary. Written comments listed as linked exhibits.
6. Heading 2: one per agenda item, numbered as on the agenda, such as “7. Resolution 2026-14, Water Rates”. Staff summary, discussion in short paragraphs, then the motion and vote block or roll call table.
7. Heading 2: Adjournment. Time.
8. Heading 2: Exhibits. A list of linked exhibits with descriptive names.
9. Signature block as typed text: “Signed by Mayor A. Sample and attested by Town Clerk B. Example.”

For a check before posting, use our one page WCAG checklist for documents.

What we do about it

What we do about it is check every set of minutes your town posts. Each month we find the minutes, agendas and packets on your site, fix headings, vote tables, titles, languages and scanned exhibits, and have a person check every file. The work goes into your dated Readable Record. See how it works or pricing.

This guide explains the rule in plain language. It is not legal advice. For decisions about your town, talk to your attorney.