ADA Website Compliance Deadline 2025-2026: What You Need to Know

🚨

Key Deadlines at a Glance

June 28, 2025 — European Accessibility Act (EAA) takes effect for EU markets
April 24, 2026 — ADA Title II deadline for large government entities (50,000+ population)
May 11, 2026 — HHS Section 504 deadline for healthcare providers
April 26, 2027 — ADA Title II deadline for smaller government entities

What Changed: The New ADA Web Accessibility Landscape

For decades, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) required accessible access to goods, services, and public accommodations — but never defined what "accessible" meant for websites. That ambiguity led to a patchwork of court rulings, DOJ settlement letters, and a rising tide of lawsuits targeting businesses of all sizes.

In 2024, two seismic shifts changed the game. First, the Department of Justice published its final rule for ADA Title II, establishing WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the binding technical standard for government websites. Second, lawsuit volume continued to climb — with over 4,000 federal website accessibility lawsuits filed in 2024 alone.

The message is clear: whether you run a government website, an online store, or a healthcare portal, web accessibility is no longer optional. There are now hard deadlines, explicit standards, and real financial consequences for non-compliance.

ADA Title II: The April 2026 Government Deadline

The DOJ's ADA Title II final rule, published on April 24, 2024, is the first-ever federal regulation that codifies specific technical requirements for web accessibility. It applies to all state and local government entities — cities, counties, school districts, public universities, transit authorities, and any publicly funded organization.

Large Entities

April 24, 2026

Governments serving 50,000+ people

• State agencies and departments
• Large cities and counties
• Public universities
• Large school districts

Smaller Entities

April 26, 2027

Special districts with fewer than 50,000 people

• Small municipalities and towns
• Special district governments
• Small transit authorities
• Rural school districts

What the Rule Requires

Covered entities must ensure that all public-facing web content and mobile applications conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. This includes main websites, online service portals, document libraries (including PDFs), mobile apps, and third-party platforms used to deliver public services.

Limited exceptions exist for archived content, user-generated third-party content, and situations where compliance would cause an "undue burden" — but these exceptions are narrow and require formal documentation. You can read the full breakdown in our ADA Title II compliance guide.

ADA Title III: What Private Businesses Must Know

While the April 2026 deadline explicitly targets government entities under Title II, private businesses are not off the hook. ADA Title III covers "places of public accommodation" — and courts have increasingly ruled that websites fall under this definition.

There is no formal Title III deadline because the obligation already exists. Businesses are expected to make their websites accessible now. The DOJ has not yet published a Title III web accessibility rule with specific technical standards, but:

1Courts use WCAG as the benchmark. In virtually every Title III lawsuit, courts reference WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 Level AA as the standard for accessibility.
2Lawsuit volume is at an all-time high. In 2024, over 4,000 federal lawsuits were filed against private businesses for inaccessible websites — a number that continues to rise year-over-year.
3Settlements are expensive. The average ADA website lawsuit settlement ranges from $5,000 to $150,000+ depending on company size and violation severity, with legal fees often exceeding the settlement itself.
4E-commerce is the #1 target. Online retailers account for the largest share of lawsuits. If you sell products or services online, you are a target. See our e-commerce accessibility guide.

The bottom line: if you're a private business with a website, the "deadline" was yesterday. Every day your website remains inaccessible is a day you're exposed to litigation.

The European Accessibility Act (June 28, 2025)

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) took effect on June 28, 2025 and applies to any business that offers products or services to customers in the European Union. This includes US-based companies with EU customers.

The EAA requires compliance with the EN 301 549 standard, which incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Covered sectors include e-commerce websites, banking services, telecommunications, e-books, and transportation services. Penalties vary by EU member state but can include fines and market access restrictions.

If your business serves European customers in any capacity, the EAA deadline has already passed — and enforcement is ramping up across member states. Achieving WCAG 2.1 AA compliance satisfies the core technical requirements of both the ADA and the EAA.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

The consequences of missing ADA web accessibility requirements are real and escalating. Here's what non-compliant organizations face:

💰 Civil Penalties

Under the ADA, first-time violations can result in civil penalties up to $75,000. Subsequent violations can reach $150,000. These amounts are adjusted for inflation and are in addition to any damages awarded to plaintiffs.

⚖️ Private Lawsuits

Individuals can file private lawsuits under ADA Title III. While Title III doesn't allow monetary damages in most circuits, plaintiffs can recover attorneys' fees — which is why law firms actively pursue these cases. In states like California (under the Unruh Act), plaintiffs can claim $4,000+ per violation per visit.

🏛️ DOJ Enforcement

The Department of Justice can initiate investigations and enforcement actions independently. Past DOJ settlements have required organizations to remediate websites, appoint accessibility coordinators, conduct employee training, and submit to ongoing monitoring — often under consent decrees lasting 3-5 years.

💸 Loss of Federal Funding

Government entities and organizations receiving federal funding risk losing that funding for Title II non-compliance. Healthcare providers face additional risk under HHS Section 504, with a May 2026 deadline.

How to Check If Your Website Is ADA Compliant

You can't fix what you haven't measured. The first step toward meeting any compliance deadline is understanding where your website currently stands. Here's a practical approach:

Run an Automated Scan

Start with a comprehensive automated accessibility scan. Our free accessibility scanner checks your website against WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 Level AA criteria and generates a detailed report of violations, warnings, and passes. You'll have an accessibility score and actionable findings in minutes.

Review the Scan Results

Automated scanners can detect approximately 30-50% of all WCAG issues — including missing alt text, color contrast failures, missing form labels, improper heading structure, and broken ARIA attributes. Focus on critical violations first: issues that completely prevent users from accessing content.

Conduct Manual Testing

Complement automated scanning with manual checks. Tab through your entire site using only a keyboard. Test with a screen reader (NVDA or VoiceOver). Check that all interactive elements are operable without a mouse. Our accessibility testing guide walks you through the full process.

Prioritize and Remediate

Not all violations carry equal weight. A missing skip navigation link is far less critical than a form that can't be submitted with a keyboard. Prioritize issues by impact — those that completely block access to content or functionality should be fixed first. See our guide to fixing common WCAG failures.

Set Up Ongoing Monitoring

Accessibility isn't a one-time project. Content updates, design changes, and new features can introduce new violations at any time. Set up continuous monitoring to catch regressions before they become compliance failures. RatedWithAI offers affordable monitoring plans starting at $29/month.

How to Prepare Before the Deadline

Whether you're a government IT director facing the April 2026 Title II deadline or a business owner trying to reduce lawsuit risk, here's a practical timeline:

📋 Immediately: Audit and Baseline

Scan your website with a free accessibility checker to establish a baseline score. Document all web properties, subdomains, and third-party tools. Create an inventory of all digital assets that need to be evaluated.

🔧 Months 1-2: Fix Critical Issues

Address the highest-impact violations: keyboard traps, missing form labels, inaccessible navigation, and missing alt text. These fixes often cover the majority of user-impacting issues and can be completed relatively quickly.

📄 Months 2-4: Address Content and Documents

Remediate PDF documents, add captions to videos, ensure all images have meaningful alt text, and verify color contrast throughout your site. For government entities, this often means going through hundreds or thousands of PDF documents.

🔄 Ongoing: Monitor and Maintain

Establish accessibility as part of your development workflow. Train content editors, add accessibility checks to your QA process, and use automated monitoring to catch regressions. Publish an accessibility statement on your website.

⚠️ Why Accessibility Overlays Won't Meet the Deadline

Some vendors promise instant ADA compliance through JavaScript overlay widgets. Don't fall for it. The DOJ's Title II rule requires that web content itself conforms to WCAG 2.1 AA — not that a third-party widget sits on top of non-compliant code.

Courts have consistently rejected overlay installation as evidence of compliance. In fact, accessiBe received a $1M FTC fine for deceptive compliance claims. Overlays can actually increase your legal exposure by demonstrating awareness of accessibility issues without actually fixing them.

The only path to real compliance is fixing your underlying code, content, and design. Our ADA compliance checklist provides a step-by-step remediation roadmap.

Don't Wait for the Deadline — Check Your Website Now

RatedWithAI scans your website against WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 Level AA criteria and gives you an honest, actionable report. No overlays, no false compliance claims — just real data about your accessibility status.

✓Free instant scan — results in under 60 seconds
✓Detailed violation breakdown by WCAG criterion
✓Remediation guidance for every issue found
✓Ongoing monitoring from $29/month

Get Your Free Accessibility Scan→View Pricing Plans

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ADA website compliance deadline for 2026?

The ADA Title II deadline for large state and local government entities (50,000+ population) is April 24, 2026. They must make their websites and mobile apps conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Smaller entities have until April 26, 2027.

Does the ADA require private businesses to have accessible websites?

Yes. While the 2026 deadline specifically applies to government entities under Title II, private businesses are covered under ADA Title III. Courts have consistently ruled that websites of places of public accommodation must be accessible, and thousands of lawsuits are filed annually against non-compliant businesses.

What are the penalties for missing the ADA compliance deadline?

Penalties include DOJ enforcement actions, private lawsuits with damages and attorneys' fees, consent decrees, and potential loss of federal funding for government entities. First-time ADA violations can carry civil penalties up to $75,000, with subsequent violations up to $150,000.

What WCAG standard does ADA compliance require?

The DOJ's ADA Title II rule specifically requires WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance. For private businesses under Title III, courts generally reference WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 Level AA as the benchmark, though no specific technical standard has been formally codified for Title III.

Do I need to make my website comply with WCAG 2.2 or 2.1?

The Title II rule mandates WCAG 2.1 Level AA. However, WCAG 2.2 is backwards-compatible with 2.1, so meeting 2.2 also satisfies 2.1 requirements. We recommend targeting WCAG 2.2 AA to future-proof your compliance, since courts and regulations are likely to adopt the newer standard over time.

Is the European Accessibility Act different from ADA?

Yes. The EAA is a separate EU directive that applies to products and services offered in EU member states. However, both the EAA (via EN 301 549) and the ADA (via DOJ rulemaking) reference WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the core technical standard. Achieving WCAG 2.1 AA compliance effectively addresses the technical requirements of both laws.

ADA Website Compliance Deadline 2025–2026: What You Need to Know