New ADA dates apply to state and local governments, and DOJ guidance shows how any business open to the public can fix common website barriers.
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The U.S. Department of Justice says the ADA covers businesses that are open to the public, and its web guidance explains how to make websites work for people with disabilities. A separate rule for state and local government websites now has new deadlines in 2027 and 2028. If you run a small business, this week is a good time to check your site for four common problems.
What changed this year
The ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act. On April 24, 2024, the Department of Justice published a final rule for Title II of the ADA. Title II is the part that covers state and local governments. The rule sets specific requirements for web content and mobile apps. You can read a plain summary in the ADA.gov fact sheet.
On April 20, 2026, the Department published an Interim Final Rule, or IFR, in the Federal Register. It moved the compliance dates. A compliance date is the day you must meet the rule. The new dates are:
- State and local governments with a total population of 50,000 or more: April 26, 2027.
- Those with a total population of less than 50,000, or any special district government: April 26, 2028.
The Department also has a Small Entity Compliance Guide with the same dates. It is written for people who work for or with small state and local governments.
Does this rule apply to my business?
The ADA has different parts. Title II covers state and local governments. Title III covers businesses that are open to the public. The rule with the new dates is a Title II rule.
That does not mean private businesses can ignore their websites. The Department of Justice web guidance describes how businesses open to the public can make their websites accessible, as the ADA requires. Note one detail. That guidance page says it does not reflect the new Title II requirements from April 24, 2024.
There is one more case to know about. State and local governments that hire other groups to provide public services for them must make sure those contractors follow Title II. If you do public service work for a city, county or state agency, ask them what this means for you.
Why access matters for your customers
The Department compares an inaccessible website to steps at the entrance of a building. Both can keep people out. People rely on websites for daily needs, like health and safety information or bus schedules.
People with disabilities use the web in different ways:
- People who are blind may use screen readers. These are tools that speak the text on a screen out loud.
- People who are deaf or hard of hearing may use captions. Captions are the words of a video shown as text.
- People who have trouble using a mouse may use voice recognition software. This lets them control a computer by speaking.
The good news is that the Department says these barriers can be prevented or removed.
Steps you can take this week
The Department names four common barriers. Here is how to check your own site for each one.
- Check your color contrast. Contrast is how much the text stands out from the background. Light gray text on a light background is hard to read for people with low vision or color blindness. Use dark text on a light background, or light text on a dark one.
- Do not use color alone to share information. For example, some forms use only red text to show which fields are required. People who are color blind may miss this. Screen readers also do not say the color of text. Add a word, such as "required," next to the field.
- Add alt text to your images. Alt text is a short written description of an image. It tells the purpose of a photo, drawing or chart. Without it, people who are blind may not understand what the image shows.
- Add captions to your videos. People with hearing disabilities may miss what a video says if it has no captions. Check every video on your site, including older ones.
- Write down what you find. Make a short list of pages that need fixes. Start with the pages customers use most, like your contact page and any forms.
If you work with a state or local government, also review the compliance guide and talk with your contact there.
How I can help
If you want help fixing these issues or building a new site, I can help. AppWT is based in Livonia, Michigan. AppWT has built 600+ websites, by its own count. The service is Custom Web Design, starting price $2,997.
Have a question about anything here? Email me at sales@appwt.com or call (888) 565-0171, and I will answer it.
Sources
- Fact Sheet: New Rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Governments, U.S. Department of Justice, ADA.gov, 2024-03-08
- Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Government Entities: A Small Entity Compliance Guide, U.S. Department of Justice, ADA.gov, 2026-07-29
- Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA, U.S. Department of Justice, ADA.gov, 2026-07-29
- Custom Web Design at AppWT, AppWT
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do the 2027 and 2028 deadlines apply to my private business?
Those dates are for a Title II rule, which covers state and local governments. Businesses open to the public fall under Title III. The Department of Justice has separate web guidance for them.
What is alt text?
Alt text is a text description that tells the purpose of an image, like a photo, drawing or chart. People who are blind may not understand an image without it.
What are common website barriers?
The Department of Justice lists poor color contrast, using color alone to share information, missing alt text on images, and videos without captions.
I do contract work for a city. Does Title II affect me?
State and local governments that hire others to provide public services must make sure those contractors follow Title II. Ask your government contact what this means for your work.
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