If you work in government, you’ve probably felt the panic. A mandate hits from the Department of Justice (DOJ), and suddenly everyone’s talking about redesigns, deadlines, and compliance. The good news? You likely don’t need a full website overhaul by April.Â
If a full website redesign isn’t in your scope, that doesn’t mean getting your digital presence in a good spot for the upcoming ADA Title II deadline isn’t a possibility.
The DOJ isn’t asking for a new look or a fancy front-end refresh. Their focus is on accessibility and usability, ensuring that government websites are navigable for all users, including those with disabilities. Key areas include:
Websites should meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at the AA level, which is the standard the DOJ focuses on. These guidelines provide concrete requirements to make web content accessible to people with disabilities, including those with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments. Key aspects include:
Text and important visual elements must have sufficient contrast against the background. The minimum contrast ratio is 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. This ensures that users with low vision or color blindness can read content without strain.
All non-text content, like images, icons, and infographics, should include descriptive text alternatives. This allows screen readers to convey the meaning to users who are visually impaired.
All interactive elements (buttons, forms, menus) must be operable via keyboard alone, without requiring a mouse. This is crucial for users with motor disabilities or those using assistive technology.
Use headings, lists, and semantic HTML properly to provide a predictable structure. Screen readers rely on this structure to help users navigate pages efficiently. Make sure to use headings in the correct hierarchy starting with H1 and progressing through H2, H3, and H4 where needed. For example, do not jump from an H1 to an H3, and then to an H2. This does not make it easy to scan the page and doesn’t provide a clear page structure.Â
Forms should be easy to understand and even easier to complete. Every field needs a clear label, helpful instructions, and accessible error messages that don’t rely on color or visual cues alone. Users should be able to move through, complete, and submit forms using assistive technologies like screen readers or keyboards without hitting roadblocks along the way.
Provide captions for videos and transcripts for audio content. This benefits users who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as those who may be in sound-sensitive environments. These captions should be easy to read and contrast well with the content it’s transcribing.Â
Users should be able to navigate your site without a mouse. One thing you should consider is including ARIA labels on your site to ensure screen readers can help those with disabilities understand exactly what the page includes, what they’re clicking on, etc. With that being said, not every element on your website should include an ARIA label.
Native HTML is best, so you want to ensure a happy medium when implementing ARIA labeling. If an element requires more specificity for screen readers to understand, that would call for adding an ARIA label.Â
Labels, headings, and forms need to be understandable and predictable. Maintaining a consistent design manages user expectations when they jump from one page to the next, reassuring them that they’re still in the right place from start to finish.
If a full redesign is intimidating or impossible before April, you’re not alone. Many agencies can hit compliance goals with targeted improvements instead:
Address issues flagged in accessibility audits, like missing alt text, color contrast problems, or misused headings. These audits are easier when you leverage tools like Acquia Web Governance that help alert you on errors and suggestions for improving your site’s performance.Â
If you want it to be even more of a breeze, you can bring in experts that can take care of the auditing for you and actively make adjustments where needed to get your digital presence in a good spot. It all depends on how much technical resources you have, but if you’re stretched thin, it’s worth considering external help.Â
When time or resources are tight, you don’t need to tackle your entire website at once. Instead, focus on the pages and services that citizens rely on most. These are your high-impact areas. By prioritizing these pages first, you address the content that affects the largest number of users and demonstrate meaningful compliance quickly.
Forms, buttons, menus, and other interactive elements are some of the most common pain points for users with disabilities, so making them accessible and intuitive should be a priority. This means ensuring that all elements work seamlessly with screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other assistive technologies.
Keeping detailed records of your accessibility work is just as important as making the improvements themselves. Document what changes were made, which pages were updated, and the methods or tools used to fix accessibility issues.Â
Include notes from audits, screenshots before and after fixes, and any testing results with assistive technologies. This level of documentation not only helps your team track progress and plan next steps, but it also provides clear evidence of compliance if the DOJ or other oversight bodies request it.
Rushing into a full redesign can create more problems than it solves. Instead, focus on:
Step 1: Conduct a thorough accessibility audit.
Step 2: Identify pages and features with the biggest user impact.
Step 3: Make incremental improvements that are easier to manage and maintain.
By approaching compliance strategically, you’ll meet DOJ expectations on time without wasting resources on unnecessary redesigns.
A large part of optimizing for accessibility and staying on top of it is maintaining documentation and continuous training for your team. Whenever there are new laws or regulations, you should be keeping your teams informed on the latest changes and adjusting your website as soon as possible to reflect those guidelines.Â
Some training best practices include:
Educating content creators on accessible writing, images, and video.
Sharing guidelines for creating accessible PDFs and forms.
Conducting periodic refresher sessions to keep standards top-of-mind.
Examples of documentation that you can develop could be an internal playbook/policy that staff can always refer to. It would also be a good idea to document processes for reporting and fixing new accessibility issues as they arise.
If we haven’t emphasized it enough: Accessibility isn’t set-it-and-forget-it. Regular check-ups are needed in order to stay on top of it and avoid issues snowballing into much larger problems.Â
Schedule periodic audits, set up alerts via tools like Acquia Web Governance to catch things right when they come, and document those fixes as they’re made for accountability. Another great approach would be to go straight to the source and ask for feedback from your users through something like a usability study.Â
Think of this continuous cycle as preventative maintenance to minimize panic and promote more peace of mind.
Need a quick recap? There’s a lot to keep in mind, so we totally understand.Â
Conduct a full accessibility audit (automated + manual).
Ensure all pages meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
Make forms, PDFs, and multimedia accessible.
Confirm navigation and interactive elements are keyboard-friendly.
Implement ARIA labels where needed.
Train content creators and staff on accessibility.
Document fixes, updates, and ongoing monitoring.
Publish a public accessibility statement with a feedback channel.
Schedule recurring testing (quarterly or semi-annual).
Conduct a final review before April 2026.
And keep an eye out for more accessibility content from us. We’re even working on a complete downloadable guide that you can always refer back to whenever you need a little extra help navigating the nuances of compliance.
