We made it through 2025 and are almost a month into 2026. Revize knows that for government staff, the start of 2026 means we’re closer than ever to the online ADA compliance deadlines mandated by the US Department of Justice.

In April 2024, the DOJ published a new rule on the accessibility of web content and mobile apps provided by state and local governments. The rule broadened the scope of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to include virtual protections, which will help make important civic information accessible to all residents. A huge portion of local government communications are done online, so it’s crucial (and now legally required) to guarantee that web content is easy to access for people of all abilities. ADA compliance deadlines for local government websites start in April 2026.

Whether your local organization has already formulated a step-by-step game plan for digital accessibility, or you’re so busy wrapping up the year that you haven’t had the chance to strategize, Revize is here to help. Our team can make the transition easy, and the deadlines feel less daunting. Safeguard your organization from lawsuits and ensure that every resident, regardless of disability, can participate in their local government. The time to cultivate an inclusive community is now.

Quick Facts of the ADA Title II Web and Mobile Application Accessibility Rule:

The first step is knowing when your local government entity must comply with the new accessibility rule.

➢ State or local governments with a population of 50,000 or more:

• Compliance deadline: April 24, 2026

➢ State or local governments with a population of 0 to 49,999:

• Compliance deadline: April 26, 2027

➢ Special district governments:

• Compliance deadline: April 26, 2027

Now that you know the timeline you’re working with, let’s brush up on the basics of the law.

➢ The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA is the required technical standard for state and local governments’ web content and mobile apps.

➢ WCAG is a set of guidelines that say what is needed for web accessibility. WCAG is developed by the World Wide Web Consortium.

➢ Know the exceptions! Almost all government-provided web content must meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA standards, but there are a few exceptions. For example, archived and preexisting web content and PDFs do not need to meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA in specific instances.

Let’s refresh ourselves on how Team Revize can help exceed legal standards and remain ADA compliant as deadlines approach.

➢ New, redesigned website would meet WCAG 2.2, Level AA standards upon launch

➢ Rich text content editor features a built-in accessibility checker to help audit content as you update the website

➢ We offer…

• ADA Scan & Fix Service to ensure continued compliance without stress
• PDF Remediation Service to assist in the task of making PDFs accessible
• “ADA Assist” Accessibility Widget
• AI Alt Tag Generator

Quick Tips for Digital Accessibility:

In the meantime, here are a few things that government webmasters can address to get ahead of the ADA compliance deadlines.

1) High Color Contrast
Ensure dark copy with light backgrounds and vice versa. Better yet, allow users to take control of the settings by implementing the Revize “ADA Assist” accessibility widget. The more control over website settings that you can provide to site visitors, the more accessible your website will be.

2) Captions and Transcripts
Subtitles allow site visitors with hearing impairments to access information shared in video format. Don’t skip this step! All local government meetings uploaded to your website need transcripts and captions.

3) Alt Tags
Write meaningful alternate text for all visual elements to enable screen-reading software to assist the visually impaired. Ask us about our AI Alt Tag Generator, which automatically generates descriptive alt tags for all images uploaded to the website.

4) Readable Text
Use legible fonts that are easy for everyone to understand. In addition, all text must be large enough to easily read. Pro tip: Avoid jargon and acronyms in web content.

5) Headers
Provide appropriate headers on every webpage so assistive technology can accurately identify and convey web content to residents who live with disabilities.

6) Label Controls
Give unique and descriptive visual and programmatic labels to all website controls (buttons, links, etc.) for user clarity.

7) Keyboard Navigation
Allow for easy tabbing and arrowing to maneuver through the website… Not everyone can use a mouse or touchpad.

8) PDF Accessibility
Make sure to structure PDFS with tags, provide descriptive text for links, ensure logical reading order, and more. Remember, Revize offers PDF Remediation services if needed.

Online ADA compliance deadlines are coming for local governments, but there’s no need to stress. Be proactive, protected, and inclusive in 2026 with this list of resources:

✓ Contact Revize

✓ ADA Information Line

✓ ADA National Network

✓ Online ADA Compliance Crash Course

✓ Free Website Accessibility Check by WeCo

✓ DOJ’s Ten-Step Action Plan for Complying with the New Accessibility Rule

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