Digital Asset Accessibility Under ADA Title II
Up-to-date news related to the ADA Title II from Jack McElaney and Accessibility in the News. Including various resources about the recent Department of Justice (DOJ) ruling on Title II and its implications for digital assets and state entities.
Summary of the DOJ Ruling
April 8, 2024 – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland signed a final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the accessibility of web content and mobile applications (apps) for people with disabilities. This final rule clarifies the obligations of state and local governments to make their websites and mobile applications accessible. This ensures equal access to online government services, including emergency information, courts, healthcare, schools, voting, and more. The rule specifies the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Levels A and AA, as the technical standard for accessibility.
- Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities – A Rule by the Justice Department on 04/24/2024, Federal Register
- Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Statement on the Final Rule
- Advance Copy of Rule: This link leads to an advance copy of a rule approved by the Attorney General
- Fact Sheet
Overview of DOJ Rule
- FAQ: Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities- IDEAL Group (PDF)
- Justice Department Issues Historic ‘Final Rule’ On Better Web Accessibility For Everyone- Forbes
- U.S. Department of Justice Accessibility Rule Announcement for State and Local Governments- Thomas Logan
Industry and Advocacy Group Responses
- Joint Statement Applauding Final Rule for Web Accessibility Under Title II of the ADA- April 10, 2024- American Foundation for the Blind
- National Federation of the Blind Applauds U.S. Department of Justice for Web and Mobile Content Accessibility Rule
- American Association of People with Disabilities Praises Department of Justice For Finalizing Title II Web Accessibility Rule- AAPD
News and Commentary on the Final Rule
Updates from Legal and Industry Experts
- Ken Nakata – DOJ Issues Final Title II Web Accessibility Rule
- Lainey Feingold – Deja Vu All Over Again? DOJ’s Current Efforts to Adopt Web Accessibility Regulations for State and Local Governments
- Seyfarth Shaw – DOJ Issues Final Rule Under Title II of the ADA for State and Local Government Websites
- StateScoop – DOJ issues final web and app accessibility rules for state, local governments
- ABA Banking Journal – DOJ issues final rule on digital accessibility for state, local governments
- Government Technology – DOJ Mandates Accessibility on State, Local Gov Websites
- HuffPost – Department Of Justice To Strengthen Website Access For Disabled People
- States Can Make Digital Accessibility Easier For Municipalities- Ken Nakata
- DOJ Releases Final Rule on Web Content Accessibility Requirements for State and Local Governments Under Title II of the ADA- Troutman Pepper
- United States DOJ Releases New Rule Mandating Digital Accessibility For State And Local Governments- Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith
- DOJ Publishes Regulation Requiring Local Agencies to Make Websites and Mobile Apps Accessible to Persons With Disabilities- Burke Public Law Update
- DOJ’s Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Final Rule- William Goren
- DOJ Final Rule on Website Accessibility for State and Local Governments Portends Significant Changes for Private-Sector Websites- Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart
- FAQ: Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities- IDEAL Group
Articles Reporting on the Rule
- New Website Accessibility Rule to Go into Effect- Conn Maciel Carey
- States Can Make Digital Accessibility Easier For Municipalities- Ken Nakata
- Feds move to make gov websites more accessible to people with disabilities- Route Fifty
- Feds Move To Increase Accessibility For People With Disabilities Online- Disability Scoop
- DOJ Adopts Accessibility Requirements for State and Local Government Websites and Mobile Apps- Davis Wright Tremaine
- DOJ Finalizes Regulations for Accessibility of State and Local Government Websites- Manatt, Phelps & Phillips
- DOJ Releases Final Rule on Web Content Accessibility Requirements for State and Local Governments Under Title II of the ADA- Troutman Pepper
- Eight key takeaways from the DOJ’s new Web and Mobile Accessibility Rule for Public Entities- Brown, Goldstein & Levy
- ADA Title II Updates: What to Know about the DOJ’s New Rule- John Avila
- Feds Move To Increase Accessibility For People With Disabilities Online- Disability Scoop
- Feds move to make gov websites more accessible to people with disabilities – Nextgov/FCW
- The ADA Now has Regulations for Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps- David Sloan
- ADA Kiosk News – DOJ Title II final rule
- Digital Accessibility and Legal Updates in 2024: WCAG Accessibility and Beyond- TPGi
- DOJ Rule Requires State and Local Governments to Make Online Services Accessible- SHRM
- City Websites Will Be Required to Meet ADA Accessibility Standards – League of Minnesota Cities
Please Note: This resource page will be updated with additional information as it becomes available.
Microassist Digital Accessibility Services
Microassist’s accessibility team can help your organization meet the accessibility requirements of web content and mobile applications (apps) for people with disabilities. under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Our accessibility services include:
- Accessibility Audits — Our audits pinpoint accessibility deficiencies in technology products and services, employing manual and automated testing to ensure compliance with accessibility standards.
- VPAT/ACR Generation Procurements — We specialize in preparing and reviewing VPAT documents ensuring accurate and objective assessments of technology products for government procurements.
- Accessible Elearning Development — We develop accessible online training solutions that incorporate multimedia and interactive features to meet stringent accessibility requirements.
- Accessible Website and Application Development — Our expertise in various programming languages and frameworks enables us to build websites, mobile apps, and software applications that meet the accessibility needs of government clients.
- Accessible Document Services—We remediate existing documents and implement best practices to ensure all supporting files within government digital environments are accessible to individuals with disabilities.
- Accessibility Remediation for Websites, Applications, and Documents — We provide comprehensive services to remediate and convert existing content, making it accessible without the need to start anew and suitable for government websites, applications, and documents
- Accessibility Training — All Microassist accessibility training courses are created and taught by experienced accessibility professionals. In addition to our introductory workshop, we offer accessibility training for document creation and remediation, accessible website and application development, and accessibility testing and remediation.
- Other Accessibility Services — We offer a full spectrum of accessibility services, including consultancy and ongoing support, tailored to the needs of government agencies and technology vendors serving the public sector.
Contact our Accessibility Team
Digital accessibility empowers users with disabilities to independently navigate, browse, use, and otherwise interact with your digital content. Contact our accessibility team today. We’ll help you make sure your website, applications, and digital files comply with accessibility standards such as WCAG 2.0/2.1 or Section 508, enabling people of all abilities to access your content with ease.