Why Everyone is Talking About ADA Title II Right Now
If it feels like ADA accessibility is suddenly everywhere, you’re not imagining it. Over the past year, accessibility has moved from a “best practice” conversation to a very real operational priority for cities and local governments.
At the center of that shift is ADA Title II, the section of the Americans with Disabilities Act that applies specifically to state and local governments. While Title II has been around for decades, recent updates and clarifications have put a sharper focus on digital accessibility, especially for city websites, online services, and public-facing documents.
In short: accessibility isn’t just about buildings anymore, and it hasn’t been for a while. It’s about how residents can easily access information and services online.
What’s Changing in April 2026
New federal guidance has made it clear that digital services offered by cities must be accessible to people with disabilities in the same way physical spaces are. That includes websites, mobile apps, online forms, PDFs, and any digital tool a resident might use to interact with your organization.
April 2026 is an important milestone because it marks when compliance expectations become much more concrete. For many organizations, that means accessibility is no longer something that can be addressed “during the next redesign” or added to a long-term wishlist. It needs to be actively planned for, documented, and maintained.
Keep in mind the key deadlines for ADA Title II are as follows:
Large government organizations (that serve 50,000+ people): April 24, 2026
All other smaller government organizations: April 24, 2027
ada.gov provides some examples on when each type of government entity needs to have their websites ADA Title II compliant.
This doesn’t mean every aspect of your digital presence must be perfect overnight. But it does mean your organization is expected to show meaningful progress, clear intent, and a sustainable approach to accessibility moving forward.
What Is ADA Title II (Without the Legal Jargon)
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires state and local governments to make their programs, services, and activities accessible to people with disabilities. That includes how residents apply for services, get information, pay fees, request help, or participate in civic life.
In other words, if a city provides something to the public, everyone needs to be able to use it, regardless of ability.
How ADA Title II Applies to State and Local Governments
ADA Title II specifically covers public entities, including:
Cities, counties, and towns
State agencies and departments
Public schools, colleges, and universities
Public transportation authorities
This means accessibility is not optional or limited to a single department. It applies to:
City websites and sub-sites
Online forms and applications
Public meeting information and agendas
Utility billing portals and payment systems
Emergency alerts and public notices
If a service is offered digitally, residents with disabilities must be able to access it in a comparable way to everyone else.
Digital accessibility focuses on whether people can use online content and tools with assistive technologies like:
Screen readers
Keyboard navigation
Voice controls
Text resizing and contrast adjustments
What ADA Title II Means for City Websites and Digital Services
For most cities, ADA Title II compliance lives or dies in the digital experience. Public services have moved online faster than accessibility practices have kept up, which is where most gaps exist today.
The good news: many accessibility issues are fixable, especially when you know where to focus.
Public-Facing Websites
Your website is often the front door to city services, and it needs to work for everyone.
Common issues include:
Poor heading structure that makes pages hard to navigate with a screen reader
Missing or vague alt text on images
Low color contrast that makes text difficult to read
Menus and buttons that cannot be accessed by keyboard
Now the question remains, how do you fix these issues? Here’s just a few ways we recommend tackling ADA compliance little by little:
Use proper heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3) to create a clear content structure
Write meaningful alt text that describes the purpose of images, not just what they look like
Check and adjust color contrast for text, buttons, and links
Test navigation using only a keyboard to identify barriers
While these tasks may seem minuscule, these improvements can dramatically improve usability without a full redesign.
What’s Happening in April (And Why It’s a Big Deal)
Beginning in April, state and local governments are expected to comply with updated ADA Title II requirements that explicitly cover digital services. This includes public-facing websites, mobile applications, digital forms, and online services used by residents to access government programs or information.
The update doesn’t introduce brand-new accessibility principles, but it does put more urgency and emphasis on them. The federal government has clearly stated that digital accessibility must meet recognized technical standards (specifically the latest WCAG standards).
For cities, this means accessibility deadlines are no longer theoretical. Enforcement, complaints, and potential legal action now have a clearer foundation.
You get the gist of ADA Title II, but now what should you do?
Understanding ADA Title II is an important first step. The harder (and more impactful) part is turning that understanding into action. Accessibility compliance is an ongoing process that touches every way your organization communicates and delivers services online.
Start With a Full Accessibility Audit
First and foremost, it’s crucial to audit all of your digital touchpoints, not just your main website. That includes:
Public-facing websites and sub-sites
PDFs, forms, and downloadable documents
Social media content and video posts
Email communications and newsletters
Online portals, payment systems, and service request tools
Only about 3% of the web is considered accessible, which means the majority of digital experiences unintentionally exclude people with disabilities. When city services live online, that exclusion becomes a real barrier to participation in public life.
An audit helps you identify where those barriers exist, prioritize fixes, and understand which issues are quick wins versus longer-term improvements.
Focus on High-Impact, Fixable Issues First
The good news: not every accessibility issue is complex or expensive to fix. Many of the most common problems are relatively straightforward and can dramatically improve the experience for users relying on assistive technology.
Take color contrast, for example. Studies show that 81% of homepages contain low-contrast text, making content difficult or impossible to read for users with low vision or color blindness. Adjusting contrast ratios often requires nothing more than small design tweaks, but the usability improvement is immediate.
Make Accessibility Part of Ongoing Operations
One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is treating accessibility as a one-time remediation project. In reality, new content, documents, and tools are added constantly.
That’s why accessibility needs to be built into your ongoing workflows:
Train staff on accessible content creation
Create standards for PDFs, forms, and templates
Review vendor tools before launching them
Test accessibility regularly, not just once
More ADA Title II guidance is on the way…
This isn’t the last time you’ll be hearing from Hounder on how to best approach the impending ADA Title II compliance deadline. We’ll be sharing more tips, tricks, and advice here soon to help you better understand and prepare. If you’re not sure where to start, our team can come in and conduct a thorough audit and offer guidance on what you should prioritize first for your digital platforms.
