ADA Title II Website Compliance: Making Your Site Accessible
Have you or a loved one ever experienced difficulty accessing information on a website due to a disability? Soon, writing alt text for images or including closed captions on videos won’t just be optional—it will be legally mandated for schools, governments, and health facilities.
The ADA Title II Website Compliance law was first announced by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2024. By 2027, public websites will be required to follow WCAG accessibility standards. This guide will walk you through what ADA Title II Website Compliance and WCAG are, why website accessibility is so important, which organizations need to follow WCAG standards, and the updates required by 2027.
What is ADA Title II Website Compliance?
The purpose of ADA Title II is to protect people with disabilities by ensuring that they have equal access to educational, governmental, and health information. This ensures that everyone can fully participate in state or local government programs without being limited by their disability.
By updating your website to meet WCAG standards, you are communicating effectively with all users and making reasonable accommodations so that everyone has equal access to important public information.
What Are WCAG 2.1 Level AA Standards?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are recommendations developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to help make websites more accessible to people with disabilities. Following these guidelines improves accessibility for individuals with blindness or low vision, deafness, limited mobility, photosensitivity, speech disabilities, and more.
Since the 2024 ruling, the DOJ has made WCAG 2.1 Level AA mandatory for state and local government organizations. This means websites, mobile apps, and digital tools must be updated to meet these standards. That includes platforms used for public services like health information, school registration, and city programs.
Which Organizations Must Meet ADA Title II Compliance?
The ADA-compliant web design law mandates that government, school, and health organizations must adhere to WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards by 2027. This applies to sectors like:
- Public education, including schools and universities.
- Public transportation
- Health care facilities
- Public recreational facilities
- Social services
- Local government judicial courts
- Voting resource centers
- Emergency services
- Government offices (i.e., DMV, county tax collector, town hall, board and commissions offices, etc.)
Why Does ADA-Compliant Web Design Matter?
Ensuring that your website is ADA-compliant isn’t just about following new legal guidelines—it’s about helping people with disabilities navigate your site.
For example, someone who has difficulty using a mouse or reading small text will now be able to access the information on your website as easily as any other user. These changes not only support people with disabilities but also benefit the elderly and users with small-screen devices.
What Adjustments Are Needed for Government, Healthcare, and School Website Accessibility?
The WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines recommend making changes to a range of features on your website, app, or digital tools. As part of your regular ongoing website maintenance, Web Tech Fusion suggests:
Ensuring Content is Easy to See & Hear
Choosing whether to add alt text to images is now an option of the past. Now, WCAG suggests providing alt text for all images, meaningful visuals, and icons. Charts should also include data summaries and descriptive labels. Video and audio visuals should include closed captioning and transcription.
Ensuring that your website has an adaptable layout and visual presentation is crucial as well. This includes:
- Using semantic HTML (headings, landmarks, lists, etc.)
- Not relying on color as an identifier.
- Maintaining a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for regular text and 3:1 for large text
- Allow users to increase the text size by 200% without disrupting the layout.
Making Navigation and Site Interaction User-Friendly
Your website should be fully operable via keyboard, ensuring that users with mobility impairments can interact with it. Navigation menus and focus indicators should be clear. Any time limits on forms or interactions should be optional, giving users the ability to extend or disable them.
Making Content Clear and Comprehensible
Easier language means that more people can understand the information being conveyed. Try to use plain language when possible and expand on any abbreviations or acronyms. When designing input forms, be sure that there are clear labels and instructions for fields.
Device Compatibility
Be sure that your website is compatible across all devices, apps, and technologies. Evaluate your website performance across different browsers, devices, and screen readers.
When is the ADA Title II Compliance Deadline?
While the deadline for school website accessibility and local government digital compliance for smaller communities is April 2027, larger cities and towns must comply by April 2026. Failure to comply could lead to a loss of funding or lawsuits. Web Tech Fusion suggests updating as soon as possible to avoid repercussions.
Unsure of Where to Begin? Web Tech Fusion Can Help
Updating your website to adhere to standards set by the W3C can seem like a daunting task. At Web Tech Fusion, we specialize in redesigning and fixing websites so that they are up to code when it comes to ADA-compliant web design. We’ve collaborated with several businesses, including healthcare organizations, where ADA compliance is needed, and all our newly developed websites are built with accessibility from the beginning.
Whether you need your website updated to meet accessibility standards or you’re looking to build an entirely new one, Web Tech Fusion can plan your site so that it’s up to code. Partner with Web Tech Fusion to meet ADA Title II website compliance—before the 2027 deadline.