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ADA Accessibility

Changes in ADA Compliance for Municipalities

Municipality Size Compliance Dates
Greater than 50,000 residents
April 26, 2026
Less than 50,000 residents
April 26, 2027

“On April 24, 2024, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division (DOJ) issued a final rule revising Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The rule requires state and local governments to make their websites and mobile applications accessible for people with disabilities. The agency is adopting the technical standards of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, which requires 50 success criteria to make websites accessible. This includes converting pictures and documents so they can be read with assistive technology for individuals with vision loss and providing captions for live and prerecorded videos for individuals with hearing loss. In their fact sheet, DOJ has also listed exceptions to this rule, including archived content that is not currently used, pre-existing conventional electronic documents, content posted by third parties under certain circumstances, individualized documents that are password-protected; and pre-existing social media posts.”

Click the buttons below for more information!

Properly Archiving Web Content
Pre Existing PDF's
Use of Language
Video Captions
Images
Links
Error Prevention
  • Properly Archiving Web Content

Content that meets ALL of the following does not need to meet WCAG:

  • Content was created before compliance date
  • Content is kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping
  • Content is kept in an area designated for Archived Content
  • Content has not changed since it has been archived

How to meet ADA Compliance for Archived Content

  • Create a section that is clearly labeled as an ‘Archive’
  • Move any content that meets the following into the archive:
    • Content was created before compliance date
    • Content is kept only for reference, research, or record keeping
    • Content has not changed since it has been archived
  • Pre Existing PDF's

Content that meets ALL of the following does not need to meet WCAG standards:

  1. The content was created before entity’s compliance date
  2. The content is kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping
  3. The content is kept in an area designated for Archived Content
  4. The content has not changed since it has been archived


How to meet ADA Requirements for pre-existing documents

  • Ensure the documents are word processing, presentation, pdf, or spreadsheet
  • Ensure they were made available BEFORE the compliance date
  • Document is not being used to apply for govt services (Ex: Application for permit


Any document that is updated MUST meet WCAG, regardless of it’s previous exemption status.
For instance, if a document that was previously exempt from ADA compliance is modified, it must now adhere to WCAG standards.

  • Use of Language

The language of each passage or phrase in the websites content can be programmatically determined except for proper names, technical terms, words of indeterminate language, and words or phrases that have become part of the vernacular of the immediately surrounding text.

How to meet ADA Requirements for Languages

  • Presentation of text and images of text

The presentation of both text and images of text must have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, except for:

  • Large text (3:1 ratio)
  • Incidental – inactive ui component, or purely decorational (no ratio)
  • Logotypes – text that is part of a logo has no contrast requirements


How to meet ADA requirements for text and images of text

  • Visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1
    • Large Text is allowed to have a ratio of 3:1
    • Logo types have no contrast requirement
  • Text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200% without loss of content
  •  
  • Video Captions
  • Captions are provided for all live audio content in synchronized media.


How to meet ADA requirements for Video Captions

  • Images

If the technologies being used can achieve the visual presentation, text is used to convey information rather than images of text except for the following:

Customizable


Essential

  • A particular presentation of text is essential to the information being conveyed.

How to meet ADA requirements for Images

  • Make sure all the images have ALT Text
  • Images that are strictly design elements only need blank alt tags
  • Avoid “image of”, “photo of”, etc, unless the medium is particularly important.
  • Avoid using the title attribute in lieu of alt text. Keyboard-only users or mobile users may never see the title.
  • Image links should describe the purpose of the link, and must never describe the image.
  • Decorative images should have blank or empty alt text
  • Complex images, like charts or graphs, should have long description located near the image. The image’s alt text should describe where the close by image is.
  • Posters, flyers, and the like must have the same information presented in nearby text/
  • Provide color contrast and other design elements to help color blind users
  • Links

The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone or from the link text together with its programmatically determined link context, except where the purpose of the link would be ambiguous to users in general.

How to meet ADA requirements for Images

  • Update links with better wording that is more clear and concise to what someone with a screen reader might have to go over.
  • “Click this link to read more about _____”
  • Avoid link text like “Click Here,” “More,” and “Read More.” These kinds of links can be confusing when a screen reader reads them out of context.
  • Use unique link text where possible. Speech recognition software users may have a bad experience with duplicated link text.
  • It is OK to link a full sentence, but avoid longer.
  • Use judgment when linking full URLs. When linking a URL, consider users who must speak it out loud and who must listen to a screen reader announce it.
  • Error Prevention
  • For Web pages that cause legal commitments or financial transactions for the user to occur, that modify or delete user-controllable data in data storage systems, or that submit user test responses, at least one of the following is true:
  • Reversible – Submissions are reversible.
  • Checked – Data entered by the user is checked for input errors and the user is provided an opportunity to correct them.
  • Confirmed – A mechanism is available for reviewing, confirming, and correcting information before finalizing the submission.


How to meet ADA requirements for Error Prevention

  • Alert users to any and all errors that prevent form validation.
  • Shift focus to the error message so users do not have to search for the error.
  • Make sure error message is distinguishable from the form elements.
  • Provide correction cues within the error message to eliminate guesswork.
  • Check that messages are accessible. Note: Ways to make a screen reader announce information include loading a new page, moving the focus, or using an ARIA live region.
  • Ensure forms retain information that was entered correctly.
  • Allow users to review and correct information before submitting the form.
  • Make sure error messages appear the same way if the same form components are on multiple web pages
  • Secure
  • Enhanced security including SSL encryption and CAPTCHA anti-spam feature
  • .GOV domain name(mentioned above)

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