North Carolina ADA Website Compliance Guide

🚨 Critical Deadline

April 24, 2026

Over 1,600 North Carolina government websites must comply

🏔️ NORTH CAROLINA: RESEARCH TRIANGLE STANDARDS

1,618 Government Entities serving 10.7 million residents face April 2026 deadlines, with Charlotte-Mecklenburg leading enforcement activity.

🎯 Mecklenburg County Focus:
• Mecklenburg County: $68,000 settlement
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools: $59,000 settlement
• Charlotte metro drives majority of state's 16 documented cases

⚖️ NC Persons with Disabilities Protection Act: NCGS Chapter 168A provides state-level accessibility protections. Combined with strong Research Triangle academic advocacy creates compliance pressure.

🎓 Research Triangle Influence: Duke, UNC, NC State universities drive accessibility innovation. Academic corridor (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) sets statewide expectations.

💼 Banking Center Impact: Charlotte as major financial hub creates business-driven accessibility awareness. Corporate compliance standards influence government expectations.

🌱 Rapid Growth Challenges: NC's 13% population growth (2010-2020) strains government IT resources. New residents from high-litigation states increase enforcement risk.

North Carolina by the Numbers

10.7 million

Population

1618

Government Entities

16

Recent ADA Lawsuits

$$43,000

Average Settlement

Who Must Comply in North Carolina?

  • 100 counties - All county government websites
  • 553 cities and towns - Municipal websites and portals
  • 115 school districts - K-12 education websites
  • 850 special districts - Water, fire, parks, libraries

North Carolina-Specific Requirements

North Carolina General Statutes include accessibility requirements for all state and local government digital services.

Recent North Carolina ADA Lawsuit Cases

DOJ v. NC Department of Adult Correction (Aug 2025) - Settlement requiring accessibility for deaf/hard of hearing inmates

Johnson v. Mecklenburg County (2024) - $68,000 settlement

Davis v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (2023) - $59,000 settlement

Major North Carolina Cities Affected

Large entities (50,000+ population) must comply by April 24, 2026:

  • Charlotte
  • Raleigh
  • Greensboro
  • Durham
  • Winston-Salem

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