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Legal Requirements

Digital accessibility isn’t just a best practice — it’s a legal expectation that helps ensure equal access to information for everyone in our community.

In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ published a final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that clarifies and strengthens accessibility requirements for websites and mobile applications operated by state and local government entities, including public school districts. This rule adopts the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA as the technical standard that public entities must follow to ensure digital content is accessible to people with disabilities.

All state and local governments must ensure their web content and mobile apps comply with WCAG Version 2.1, Level AA by April 27, 2026.

The Final Rule:

  • Applies to public schools as well as any contractors that provide public services on their behalf.
  • Applies to web content or apps created on the agency’s behalf, including by third parties.
  • Global accessibility standard established by the World Wide Web Consortium (WC3)
  • For communities of <49.9K, the deadline is 4/27/27. Based on population of jurisdiction, not enrollment.

What's included?

  • Includes any web content or apps created on the agency’s behalf, including by third parties.
  • Includes district and school websites, social media content, videos, digital documents (handbooks, board minutes, calendars, etc.), mass notification systems and other third party platforms.