More Information about the new DOJ ADA Rule
Obligations
Public entities must ensure that their web content and mobile applications, whether provided directly or through contracts, licenses, or other agreements, are accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities.
Technical Standards
Public entities are required to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA, for all web content and mobile applications. These standards apply to all digital content made available to the public or used within services, programs, and activities.
Important Definitions
- Web Content: Refers to the information and sensory experiences delivered to users via a user agent, including the underlying code or markup that structures, presents, and facilitates interaction with the content. This includes text, images, audio, videos, controls, animations, and traditional electronic documents.
- Traditional Electronic Documents: Web content or content within mobile apps that exists in electronic file formats such as PDFs, word processor files, presentation files, and spreadsheet files.
- Mobile Applications: Software applications intended for download and use on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.
Exceptions
Under certain circumstances, specific types of web and mobile app content might not be required to comply with the technical standards. For more details on these exceptions, refer to the DOJ fact sheet:
- Archived Web Content: Information that is no longer actively used or modified since being archived by a public entity and is retained solely for reference, research, or record-keeping purposes.
- Existing Conventional Electronic Documents: Documents that were already available on a website or mobile app before the compliance date.
- Third-Party Content: Content uploaded by third parties, except when the third party is uploading the content due to contractual, licensing, or other agreements with the public entity.
- Individualized Password-Protected Documents: Secure documents, protected by passwords or other security measures, that pertain to specific individuals, properties, or accounts.
- Existing Social Media Posts: Posts made on social media platforms before the compliance date.