Over the next two years, major changes are coming to digital accessibility requirements and many organizations aren’t fully aware of how these rules will affect their websites, online content, and mobile apps. Whether you’re in higher education, government, nonprofit, or even the private sector, it’s a smart time to take a closer look at digital accessibility and make sure you have a plan.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening, who it impacts, and how to prepare.
What’s Changing?
In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice issued new ADA Title II regulations requiring state and local governments — including public colleges and universities — to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards for their digital content.
This means websites, forms, PDFs, videos, portals, and mobile apps must be accessible to people with disabilities, including those who use assistive technologies like screen readers.
While private organizations aren’t tied to the same federal deadline, WCAG 2.1 AA has become the widely accepted standard and remains the best way to reduce risk, improve user experience, and stay competitive.
Who Needs to Comply?
These new requirements directly apply to:
- State and local government organizations
- Public colleges and universities
- Public-facing services or digital programs run by government entities
But here’s the bigger picture:
- Private colleges and universities are still expected to align with ADA digital accessibility under Title III and Section 504 if they receive federal funding.
- Businesses and nonprofits are increasingly being held to the same standards through lawsuits, grants, or partnership requirements.
In other words: even if you’re not required to comply by the 2026–2027 dates, WCAG compliance is becoming an expectation across the board.
Important Deadlines
- April 2026: Public entities serving populations of 50,000+
- April 2027: Smaller public entities and special districts
If your organization falls into one of these categories, you’ll want to start planning now — accessibility work often touches multiple teams, systems, and legacy content.
What Does WCAG 2.1 AA Actually Mean?
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) are global best practices that ensure online content is usable by everyone.
Some examples include:
- Text alternatives for images
- Captions and transcripts for videos
- Keyboard navigability
- Clear color contrast
- Accessible PDFs and documents
- Logical heading structure
- Avoiding content that triggers seizures
- Forms that work seamlessly with assistive devices
If your website hasn’t been updated in a few years, or if you have large archives of documents and media, chances are there’s some work to do.
Why It Matters — Even If You’re Not Required by Law
Organizations are focusing on accessibility not just because of compliance, but because:
- It reduces legal risk
- It improves user experience for everyone
- It supports inclusivity and reflects well on your brand
- It helps SEO and mobile usability
- It ensures you don’t fall behind newer, stricter expectations
Accessibility is increasingly becoming a baseline requirement — much like responsive design was a decade ago.
What You Should Do Now
Here’s where most organizations are starting:
1. Audit your current website and content
Identify accessibility issues across your site, documents, and media.
2. Prioritize high-impact fixes
Focus on templates, global elements, core pages, and heavily used content first.
3. Build a roadmap
Plan for updates over time — especially if you have multiple departments or legacy systems.
4. Update internal processes
Create standards for new content so you don’t fall back into accessibility debt.
5. Train your team
Writers, designers, and developers all play a role in ongoing accessibility.
How Traktek Partners Can Help
At Traktek Partners, we’re working with organizations across the Boston area and beyond to:
- Conduct accessibility audits
- Prioritize and fix core issues
- Build practical, phased compliance roadmaps
- Update websites, CMS templates, and digital content
- Train teams on long-term accessibility best practices
Whether you need a quick assessment or a full plan, we’re here to help you move forward confidently and meet the upcoming ADA web requirements without scrambling at the last minute.
If you’d like some practical tips to start improving your website accessibility right away, check out our blog: 6 Quick Tips to Improve Your Website Accessibility.
