The 2024 DOJ rule made WCAG 2.1 AA the baseline for state and local government websites. Here's how to comply without panic.
In April 2024, the Department of Justice finalized a rule under Title II of the ADA that explicitly requires state and local governments to make their websites and mobile apps conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Small governments have until 2027 to comply; larger ones had until 2026. The clock is running.
What the rule actually requires
All public-facing web content must conform to WCAG 2.1 AA. That includes PDFs, embedded videos, third-party tools, and content posted by departments outside of central IT. Exceptions are narrow and specific — archived content, third-party content you don't control in certain ways, and individualized password-protected documents.
The most common gaps we find
Untagged PDFs that scan as images instead of text. Videos without captions. Color-contrast failures in the city's brand palette. Missing alt text on photo galleries. Forms without labeled fields. PDFs of meeting agendas where the agenda is actually an image scan of a printed document.
A practical remediation plan
Inventory every PDF on the site and rank by traffic. Replace the top 50 most-trafficked PDFs with HTML pages or accessible PDFs over 90 days. Add captions to all videos published in the last 24 months. Run an automated WCAG scan and remediate the top 100 issues. Train every department's content publisher in basic accessibility — alt text, headings, link text — and require it before publishing access is granted.
Beyond the rule
Compliance is the floor, not the goal. A truly accessible city website is also a faster, cleaner, better-organized website — and one that ranks better in search, gets cited more in AI assistants, and serves residents who don't have a disability either.