Complete ADA Website Compliance Guide for Government Entities

The Department of Justice's April 2024 final rule requires all state and local government websites to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. This comprehensive guide explains everything you need to know.

Table of Contents

• What is ADA Title II?
• Who Must Comply?
• Critical Deadlines
• Technical Requirements
• Consequences of Non-Compliance
• How to Achieve Compliance

What is ADA Title II?

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination based on disability in all services, programs, and activities provided by state and local governments. In 2024, the DOJ clarified that this includes all digital services and websites.

This means your website must be accessible to people with disabilities including:

• Visual impairments (blindness, low vision, color blindness)
• Hearing impairments (deafness, hard of hearing)
• Motor impairments (inability to use mouse, limited fine motor control)
• Cognitive disabilities (dyslexia, learning disabilities)

Who Must Comply?

All state and local government entities must comply, including:

• State governments: All departments, agencies, and programs
• Counties: All 3,143 counties in the United States
• Cities and towns: All 19,495 incorporated places
• Special districts: Including school districts, water districts, park districts
• Public universities and colleges: All state-funded institutions
• Public hospitals: Any government-operated medical facility
• Courts: State and local judicial systems
• Public transportation: Transit authorities and departments

Critical Compliance Deadlines

Technical Requirements (WCAG 2.1 Level AA)

Your website must meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA, which includes:

Perceivable

• All images must have alternative text descriptions
• Videos must have captions and audio descriptions
• Color cannot be the only way to convey information
• Text must have sufficient contrast (4.5:1 for normal text)

Operable

• All functionality must work with keyboard only
• Users must have enough time to read content
• Content cannot cause seizures (no flashing)
• Users must be able to navigate and find content

Understandable

• Text must be readable and understandable
• Web pages must appear and operate predictably
• Users must be helped to avoid and correct mistakes

Robust

• Content must work with assistive technologies
• Content must remain accessible as technologies advance

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Failing to meet compliance deadlines exposes your organization to:

• DOJ enforcement actions: Federal investigations and mandated remediation
• Private lawsuits: Citizens can sue for discrimination
• Financial penalties: Settlements typically $20,000-$100,000+
• Remediation costs: Emergency fixes cost 3-5x more than planned compliance
• Reputational damage: Public criticism and negative media coverage
• Federal funding risks: Potential loss of federal grants and funding

How to Achieve Compliance

Step 1: Assess Current Status

Start by understanding where you stand. Use our free scanner to get an initial assessment of your website's accessibility. This will identify critical issues that need immediate attention.

Test Your Site Now →

Step 2: Prioritize Critical Issues

Focus on high-impact problems first:

1. Add alt text to all images
2. Ensure keyboard navigation works
3. Fix color contrast issues
4. Add proper headings structure
5. Label all form fields

Step 3: Implement Solutions

You have three main options for achieving compliance:

• Manual remediation: Fix code issues one by one (slow but thorough)
• Automated solutions: Use AI-powered tools for quick fixes
• Hybrid approach: Combine automation with manual fixes (recommended)

Step 4: Maintain Compliance

Accessibility isn't a one-time fix. You need:

• Regular monitoring and testing
• Staff training on accessibility
• Accessibility review before publishing new content
• Annual comprehensive audits