In April 2024, the Department of Justice finalized rules requiring state and local government entities to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards for their web content and mobile apps. The compliance deadlines are April 24, 2026 for larger entities (serving 50,000+ population) and April 26, 2027 for smaller ones.
April 2026 is 3 months away. April 2027 is 15 months away.
Organizations facing the 2026 deadline have likely been testing, implementing fixes, and training staff for months already. But if you’re working toward the 2027 deadline, here’s what that timeline actually looks like in practice:
If you start now (15 months out):
- 2-3 months: Run a comprehensive audit, secure budget approval
- 3-6 months: Staff training, begin remediation
- Remaining time: Systematic fixes, establish ongoing processes
- Budget impact: Moderate, spread across fiscal years
If you wait until fall 2026 (6-9 months out):
- 1-2 months: Rushed audit while scrambling for emergency budget
- 2-3 months: Expensive accelerated remediation
- Remaining time: Triage mode, critical pages only
- Budget impact: 40-60% higher due to urgency premium
The difference isn’t just stress levels. Organizations that wait face a painful choice: pay significantly more for rushed work, or pursue bare-minimum compliance and hope for the best.
I created a 15-minute self-assessment that helps organizations understand exactly where they stand. It covers six areas: current accessibility status, testing approach, document inventory, platform assessment, staff capacity, and risk level. Each section has a point value. Your total score indicates which timeline tier you’re in and the specific actions you need to take.
Even if you’re not bound by these DOJ deadlines, this assessment helps you understand your actual accessibility gaps, resource needs, and whether your current approach will create sustainable compliance or merely check boxes.
Next Step: Download the ADA Compliance Readiness Checklist
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