The Department of Justice announced Monday that it would delay implementation of new digital accessibility regulations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The rules, which were adopted in 2024 and were set to take effect on April 24, require state and local governments that serve 50,000 people or more to make websites and mobile apps accessible to people with disabilities.
The rules were adopted to comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires that public facilities and programs be accessible.
The Standard’s Shelly Brisbin says the federal rules are based on an international technical standard called the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG, that describes how developers can make their sites and apps available to those who are blind, deaf or have other disabilities.
The DOJ stated that the delay will give large government entities, which include everything from courts and public transit agencies, to libraries, schools and election offices, more time to implement accessibility. Disability advocates say the rules are based on well-known technical requirements, and that people with disabilities face limited access to their governments if sites are not updated.
The delayed Title II rules are currently scheduled to apply to large state and local entities in April 2027, with smaller governments required to comply one year later.
The DOJ has hinted that it could make further changes to the implementation of the rules, including opening them up for additional public comment.
