Local Government ADA Briefing

Your City Website Is Now Part of ADA Compliance

The DOJ’s ADA Title II web rule gives local governments a clear deadline for accessible websites, documents, vendor systems, and mobile apps.

If your city or town has not started planning yet, the good news is that smaller municipalities still have time - but this should become a managed project, not a last-minute scramble.

Who is covered?

State and local governments, including cities, towns, counties, departments, agencies, and special districts.

What does it cover?

Public websites, web content, documents, online services, vendor systems, and mobile apps.

What should we do first?

Inventory your websites, forms, PDFs, vendor tools, and high-use public services.

The rule in one minute

Applies to: State and local governments
Standard: WCAG 2.1 Level AA
Small city deadline: April 26, 2028
Larger entity deadline: April 26, 2027
Includes: Websites, mobile apps, online forms, documents, and vendor systems
Watch especially: PDFs, payment portals, permit systems, agenda packets, and public meeting materials
First move: Make an inventory and prioritize high-use public services

Current DOJ compliance deadlines

DOJ originally set earlier deadlines, but an interim final rule published in April 2026 extended those dates by one year.

Public entity size	Current compliance deadline
50,000 or more people	April 26, 2027
0-49,999 people	April 26, 2028
Special district governments	April 26, 2028

Population is generally based on Census data, not things like staff size or website traffic. A city department usually follows the population of the city it belongs to.

Small city takeaway

If your municipality is under 50,000 people, the general deadline is now April 26, 2028. That gives you time to do this in a practical, orderly way.

Return to top

Who is covered

State and local governments are covered, including cities, towns, counties, departments, agencies, and special districts.

Coverage takeaway

Yes, smaller municipalities are covered too. The deadline is later for most places under 50,000 people, but the rule still applies.

Covered public entities include

cities and towns
counties
city departments and agencies
boards, commissions, and special districts
other state and local public entities

Practical planning notes

Smaller governments generally have more time, not a different rule.
A city department usually follows the population of the city it belongs to.
If residents use a city-managed site or system to get information or services, include it in the planning list.

Return to top

What standard applies

The rule points covered public entities to WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard for accessible web content and mobile apps.

Working standard

WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the standard to build your review plan, remediation priorities, and vendor questions around.

In practice, that usually means checking

page structure and heading hierarchy
keyboard access and focus states
form labels, instructions, and error handling
color contrast and readable text
image text alternatives and link clarity
captions and accessible media handling

Do not limit this to page templates alone

forms and public transactions matter
PDFs and uploaded documents matter
vendor systems matter
mobile experiences matter
meeting materials, videos, and maps matter

Return to top

What the rule covers

This rule is broader than a brochure website. It reaches the digital services residents actually use to get information, complete tasks, and interact with local government.

Plan to include

the main city website and department pages
public web content and service pages
online forms and transaction flows
uploaded documents, including current PDFs
vendor-provided systems used for public services
mobile apps

Watch especially

payment portals
permit and license systems
agenda packets and meeting materials
public notices and emergency information
employment and records-request workflows
embedded maps, videos, and third-party tools

Scope check

If residents use it to access a current city service or public information, it belongs on your inventory.

Return to top

Why this matters for local government

This is a compliance issue, but it is also a public service issue.

Residents may need your website to

pay a utility bill
apply for a permit
find a public meeting agenda
submit a service request
read an emergency notice
apply for a local program
reserve a park facility
contact the right department

Good accessibility also tends to improve

clearer headings
better forms
easier navigation
fewer confusing PDFs
better mobile usability
fewer calls to staff asking where to find things

If those pages, forms, PDFs, or systems are not accessible, some residents may be blocked from services that others can use online.

Accessibility is not just about avoiding trouble. It is about making local government easier to use.

Return to top

What city websites should review first

A small city does not need to start by reviewing every file it has ever posted online.

Start with the things residents actually use to get services, meet obligations, or participate in local government.

First-step focus

Start with the services residents use most.

Review first	Why it matters now
Utility payment pages	Residents use them to pay money and avoid service disruption.
Permit and license forms	They gate access to common city services.
Public meeting agendas and minutes	They support public participation and transparency.
Public notices and emergency information	They are time-sensitive and widely accessed.
Complaint or service request forms	They are how residents ask for help.
Employment applications	They affect access to public jobs.
Public records request forms	They are a common public-facing process with legal significance.
Parks, recreation, or facility reservation systems	They support frequent public transactions and registrations.

Common trouble spots

scanned PDFs
fillable forms
agenda packets
image-only flyers
unlabeled form fields
low-contrast text
menus that do not work by keyboard
videos without captions
maps without accessible alternatives
vendor portals that were never reviewed for accessibility

Return to top

PDFs and old documents

Many city websites have years of PDFs: agendas, minutes, forms, reports, notices, flyers, ordinances, applications, and scanned records.

Some older or archived materials may qualify for exceptions under the DOJ rule. But "old" does not automatically mean "exempt."

PDF caution

If a document is still used to apply for, pay for, access, understand, or participate in a current city service, treat it as active content.

A past event flyer may be low priority. A current permit application is different.

Return to top

Vendor systems

Many municipalities rely on vendors for online services. That is normal.

Vendor responsibility

A vendor system is not automatically outside the city’s responsibility.

Review systems such as:

payment portals
permit systems
agenda management platforms
parks and recreation registration tools
public records request tools
code enforcement systems
alert systems
embedded maps
meeting video platforms
mobile apps

Before renewing or buying a system, ask vendors whether their product conforms to WCAG 2.1 Level AA and whether they can provide current accessibility documentation.

Return to top

What to do first

The best first step is not panic. It is inventory.

First step

A working inventory is enough to begin.

Step 1

Assign a coordinator

Someone should be responsible for tracking the work, even if the city also uses outside help.

That person does not need to be a full-time accessibility specialist. But someone should know:

what systems the city uses
who publishes web content
which vendors are involved
what documents and forms are highest priority
what work has already been completed

Step 2

List your digital services

Create a simple inventory of:

city websites
department pages
online forms
PDFs and document libraries
mobile apps
payment systems
permit systems
agenda systems
video platforms
vendor portals
social media accounts

This does not need to be perfect on day one. A working list is enough to start.

Step 3

Prioritize by public impact

Focus first on the pages and tools people use to:

pay money
apply for services
attend or understand public meetings
comply with city requirements
request help
receive emergency information

That is where accessibility barriers are most likely to affect residents directly.

Step 4

Stop creating new barriers

Before trying to fix years of old content, make sure new content is created more carefully.

avoiding scanned PDFs
using accessible page templates
adding proper headings
writing clearer link text
captioning new videos
checking color contrast
training staff who post content
asking vendors accessibility questions before purchase

Step 5

Build accessibility into future redesigns

If your city is planning a website redesign, accessibility should be part of the project from the beginning.

A redesign should address:

accessible templates
accessible navigation
accessible forms
plain-language service pages
document cleanup
staff training
pre-launch testing
post-launch support

Accessibility should not be treated as the last item on a launch checklist.

Return to top

Simple leadership checklist

Use this as a starting point for council, administration, clerk, department-head, or IT discussions.

Confirm the basics

Do we know our applicable DOJ deadline?
Do we know whether we fall under the under-50,000 population timeline?
Have we assigned someone to coordinate this work?

Understand our web presence

Do we know all websites and subdomains we operate?
Do we know which vendor systems residents use?
Do we know where our forms, PDFs, agendas, and notices live?
Do we know whether we have any mobile apps?

Identify the highest priorities

Utility billing
Permits and licenses
Public meetings
Emergency notices
Public records requests
Current forms and applications
Parks and recreation registration
Employment applications

Start improving the process

Train staff who publish content.
Stop posting scanned PDFs when better options are available.
Ask vendors for accessibility documentation.
Add accessibility expectations to future contracts.
Create a way for residents to report accessibility barriers.

Return to top

How EvenVision can help

EvenVision helps small public-sector teams make websites clearer, easier to manage, and more accessible.

A practical first step

For many cities and towns, the best place to start is a practical accessibility inventory and priority review.

That gives leadership a clear picture of what systems and content need attention, what should be fixed first, which documents are highest priority, which vendor systems need review, what staff can improve going forward, and what should be addressed in a redesign or maintenance plan.

Need	How we can help
Website review	Review key templates, pages, navigation, forms, and high-priority content.
Document strategy	Identify active PDFs and forms that should be remediated or moved into accessible web pages.
Vendor review	Help evaluate accessibility claims from payment, permitting, agenda, recreation, and other system vendors.
Staff training	Teach practical habits for headings, links, images, documents, and page structure.
Redesign planning	Build accessibility into information architecture, design, CMS templates, and publishing workflows.
Remediation roadmap	Prioritize work by public impact, compliance risk, budget, and staff capacity.

A good first step

Start with a short accessibility inventory.

You do not need every answer before beginning. You need a clear enough picture to make smart decisions.

Need help understanding where your city stands?

EvenVision can review your current website, documents, and vendor systems, then prepare a practical accessibility roadmap for your staff and leadership team.

Contact EvenVision

Return to top

Official DOJ resources

For city staff, administrators, clerks, council members, and mayors who want to read the official guidance directly:

Return to top

Note

This page is general informational guidance for local government planning. It is not legal advice. Municipalities should consult legal counsel when interpreting ADA obligations, exceptions, procurement language, enforcement risk, and compliance strategy.

Return to top