The clock has run out on preparation. As of today, April 14, 2026, you have exactly **9 days** until the April 24, 2026 ADA Title II web accessibility deadline.
If you are reading this and your government website is not yet WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliant, the honest truth is this: **you will not achieve full compliance in 9 days.** Nobody will. Comprehensive remediation requires 12-18 months. That window closed in 2024.
But that does not mean you are helpless. With 9 days remaining, your goal shifts from perfect compliance to **documented good faith effort**. Courts, the DOJ, and plaintiff attorneys all distinguish between entities that ignored accessibility versus those actively working toward it. Organizations with documented efforts settle for 40-60% less than those without.
This is the last-minute checklist. Everything on this list can realistically be done in 9 days. Every item you complete and document strengthens your legal position after April 24.
→ **Start right now:** Scan your website for free and save the dated results. That single action is the first piece of evidence in your good faith defense.
This Week (Days 1-5): Baseline and Triage
Day 1 (TODAY): Run a Scan
• Scan your primary website against WCAG 2.1 Level AA
• Save the dated report — this is evidence #1
• Note your overall score and total violation count
• Identify your top 5 critical issues
Day 2: Inventory Your Digital Footprint
• List every website your entity operates (main + department microsites)
• List mobile apps
• Quantify PDF libraries (forms, reports, public documents)
• Note any third-party widgets, embedded maps, or payment portals
• The DOJ's First Steps guidance (Step 5) specifically requires this
Day 3: Assign Responsibility
• Name a single accessibility lead (even if temporary)
• Get leadership sign-off in writing — email works
• Document who owns web, mobile, PDFs, and procurement
• This is DOJ Step 3 and courts want to see a named owner
Day 4-5: Fix the Big Five Focus only on the violations that account for most lawsuits:
1. Missing alt text on images (67% of government sites have this) 2. Insufficient color contrast (52% fail) 3. Missing form labels (blocks payment/application flows) 4. Keyboard navigation failures (48% of sites) 5. Broken or missing skip links
You cannot fix every violation in 9 days. You can fix the five that plaintiff attorneys look for first.
Next Week (Days 6-10): Document and Defend
Day 6: Publish an Accessibility Statement
• Add a statement to your footer and a dedicated `/accessibility` page
• Include: your commitment, current WCAG target, known limitations, contact info for complaints
• This is DOJ Step 11 and takes less than an hour
• Courts consider a published statement evidence of good faith
Day 7: Set Up a Complaint Intake
• Add a dedicated email (accessibility@yourdomain) or web form
• Document the response procedure (acknowledge within 2 business days)
• Save the intake setup email — more evidence
Day 8: Review Your Vendor Contracts
• Identify any third-party systems handling public-facing content (CMS, forms, maps, video)
• Send a written request for WCAG 2.1 AA conformance documentation
• Even unanswered requests are good faith evidence
• This is DOJ Step 10
Day 9: Create the Remediation Tracking Log
• Spreadsheet with: issue, WCAG criterion, date identified, date fixed, who fixed it, verification
• Include every fix you made this week
• This is the single most important document for post-deadline settlement negotiations
Day 10: Get a Compliance Certificate
• Get a Good Faith Compliance Certificate with your current score and remediation plan
• Dated, formal, verifiable
• Costs less than any settlement negotiation will
Day 10 Evening: Brief Leadership
• One-page summary: what you found, what you fixed, what is deferred, what documentation exists
• Get sign-off from a department head or city manager
• This establishes institutional awareness — critical if a lawsuit arrives
The Five Documents That Matter Most
1. Initial Accessibility Audit Report
• A dated scan showing your baseline score and violation list
• Proves you knew your status and took action
2. Digital Asset Inventory
• List of every website, app, and content type you manage
• Shows scope awareness
3. Remediation Tracking Log
• Dated record of violations identified and fixes applied
• The single strongest piece of evidence in settlement negotiations
4. Accessibility Policy Statement
• Published on your website with contact info
• Proves institutional commitment and provides complainant recourse
5. Compliance Certificate
• Formal, dated documentation of your compliance status
• Get yours here
Organizations with these five documents are in a dramatically stronger legal position than those without. You cannot guarantee immunity from lawsuits — but you can guarantee that your settlement amounts, if lawsuits come, will be lower.
What NOT to waste time on in 9 days:
• Comprehensive WCAG 2.1 AA audit of every page — impossible in this timeframe
• PDF remediation of historical document libraries — months-long project
• Custom accessibility training for all staff — schedule for post-deadline
• Rebuilding templates from scratch — will not finish in time
• Overlay widgets — the AccessiBe FTC fine proves these do not count as compliance
What Happens on April 25
The April 24 deadline is not a magic enforcement switch. Here is the realistic picture of what happens starting April 25:
What WILL Happen
• Private ADA lawsuits continue at the same pace (~8,667/year, ~32/business day)
• Plaintiff attorneys will cite the expired deadline as evidence of willful non-compliance
• Settlement demands will increase — the deadline leverage goes up, not down
• Demand letters targeting government entities will accelerate
• DOJ enforcement begins, starting with entities that ignored the rule entirely
What Probably Will NOT Happen (Immediately)
• Mass DOJ raids on government sites — DOJ is resource-constrained
• Instant $150,000 penalties — federal enforcement is slower than private lawsuits
• Court rulings on the Interim Final Rule — that review is still pending at OIRA
What Your Documentation Does
Entities with documented good faith efforts from this 9-day window will receive more favorable treatment from:
• DOJ investigators (remedial rather than punitive)
• Settlement negotiators (40-60% reductions)
• Judges (discretion in damages)
• Plaintiff attorneys choosing targets (they look for easy wins, not documented defenders)
The goal is not to avoid all legal exposure — that window closed. The goal is to be a harder target than the entity next door.
9 Days Left: Start Your Documentation Now
The single highest-leverage action you can take in the next 9 days is running a dated accessibility scan right now. It establishes your baseline, identifies what to fix first, and becomes the first piece of evidence in your good faith defense. Our scanner is free, instant, and works for any website.
Scan Your Website FreeOn April 25, every government entity in the United States will be divided into two groups: those with documented compliance efforts and those without. The first group faces reduced settlements, DOJ remedial action, and manageable legal exposure. The second group faces maximum penalties, willful non-compliance arguments, and the full weight of a plaintiff bar that has been preparing for this moment for two years.
You have 9 days to decide which group you are in. The checklist above takes 10 working days to execute. Every item is achievable. Every document produced strengthens your position.
Start today. Not tomorrow.
• Run your accessibility scan — Day 1 action, free, instant • Get a compliance certificate — Day 10 action, formal documentation • Read the DOJ's First Steps guidance — the official playbook • Understand good faith compliance — why documentation matters more than perfection • Track the Title II deadline status — latest on the IFR at OIRA
**Disclaimer:** This article provides general guidance for the final days before the April 24, 2026 ADA Title II deadline. It is not legal advice. Every organization's situation is unique. Consult with a qualified ADA attorney for guidance specific to your circumstances.