ADA Guidelines & Requirements
A practical guide to Title II digital accessibility requirements for public institutions: what the law requires, where organizations fail, and what enforcement looks like.
DOJ compliance deadlines are in effect
Entities serving 50,000+ residents must conform by April 26, 2027. All other public entities by April 26, 2028. Run a free scan to see where you stand.
Legal Requirements by Category
Title II: Public Entities
Requirements for state and local government entities
- All public communications must be accessible
- Websites must conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA
- Alternative formats must be available upon request
- Staff training on accessibility requirements
- Grievance procedures for accessibility complaints
Potential penalties
Up to $115,231 for a first violation; $230,464 for subsequent violations (2024 inflation-adjusted per 28 CFR § 85)
Section 508 Compliance
Federal requirements for electronic and information technology
- Electronic documents must be fully accessible
- Videos must include captions and transcripts
- Software applications must be keyboard accessible
- Color cannot be the sole means of conveying information
- Text must meet minimum contrast ratios
Potential penalties
Federal funding may be withheld for non-compliant agencies
Web Content Accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA)
The technical standard required under DOJ Title II
- Images must have descriptive alternative text
- Videos must include synchronized captions
- All functionality must be operable via keyboard
- Text must remain readable when zoomed to 200%
- Pages must have a logical heading hierarchy
Potential penalties
Civil litigation, with settlements commonly ranging from $25,000 to $300,000
Most Common Violations
Missing alt text
User Impact
Screen readers cannot describe images to blind users
How to Fix
Add a descriptive alt attribute to every informational image
Insufficient color contrast
User Impact
Users with low vision cannot read content
How to Fix
Ensure 4.5:1 contrast ratio for body text; 3:1 for large text (≥18pt)
Keyboard navigation failures
User Impact
Users who cannot use a mouse are locked out
How to Fix
Verify all interactive elements are focusable and operable via Tab/Enter
Form inputs without labels
User Impact
Screen reader users cannot understand what a field expects
How to Fix
Associate a <label> with every input using the 'for' attribute or aria-label
Inaccessible PDFs
User Impact
Document content is completely unavailable to assistive technology
How to Fix
Create tagged PDFs or provide accessible HTML equivalents
Recent DOJ Enforcement Actions
Inaccessible classroom and campus technologies; agreed to overhaul systems
State agency's mobile application was inaccessible to individuals with disabilities
County election website inaccessible to voters with disabilities
Election website failed to meet accessibility standards
Exclusion of a student with visual impairments from university programs
Sources: U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. View all enforcement actions
Know where your site stands before the deadline
A free scan takes a few minutes and shows your grade, violation count, and days remaining to your DOJ deadline.