Accessibility FAQ
ADA & Digital Accessibility FAQ
For: Clerks • City/County Admin • IT • PIO • AV/Streaming Teams
About:
This FAQ is for local government leaders who are responsible for public meetings, websites, and digital services. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is no longer just about ramps and doors—it now clearly covers your websites, mobile apps, live streams, and video archives.
The new Department of Justice rule sets hard deadlines for ADA-compliant digital content, and that includes how you stream and present public meetings.
Brief Summary:
Title II of the ADA requires state and local governments to ensure equal access for people with disabilities. For meetings, that means accessible facilities, auxiliary aids, and accessible digital content. New DOJ rules require government websites and mobile apps to meet WCAG 2.1 AA by:
• April 24, 2026 – entities serving 50,000+ people
• April 26, 2027 – entities serving fewer than 50,000
Who It Impacts:
• City and county clerks, administrators, IT, PIOs, and AV teams
• Any department that publishes meeting content, agendas, minutes, or video
• Vendors providing streaming, portals, or apps to local government
Designed for the Next
Decade of Public Access.
Q: What does the ADA actually require for in-person public meetings?
A: Local governments must provide equal access for people with disabilities. That typically includes:
• Accessible meeting rooms and routes (2010 ADA Standards)
• Auxiliary aids when needed (ASL, CART captioning, assistive listening, Braille/large print materials,
accessible PDFs)
• Reasonable modifications to policies and practices when necessary to avoid discrimination
If a resident cannot follow the meeting because of hearing, vision, or cognitive barriers, you are not
truly accessible—even if the room itself is technically compliant
Q: What changed with the new ADA Title II web and mobile rule?
A: DOJ’s 2024 rule sets clear technical standards and deadlines:
• Websites and mobile apps of state and local governments must comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA
• Deadline April 24, 2026 – entities serving 50,000+ people
• Deadline April 26, 2027 – smaller entities
This includes meeting portals, agendas, packets, players, video archives, and mobile apps.
Q: How does this affect our streaming and meeting platform?
A: If residents watch meetings through your website or an embedded player, that experience must
meet ADA digital accessibility standards:
• Captions for live and recorded video
• Player controls that work with keyboard and screen readers
• Adequate contrast, resizable text, and visible focus states
• Accessible agenda and packet files (tagged PDFs or HTML, not just scanned images)
If your vendor’s player doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 AA, your agency still carries the legal risk.
Q: What’s the risk if we miss the ADA web deadlines?
A: You increase your exposure to:
• Complaints to DOJ and state agencies
• Demand letters and lawsuits from advocacy groups
• Negative press around excluding residents with disabilities
Waiting means you’ll fix this later under pressure, on someone else’s timetable.
Q: What’s a realistic first step for a city or county?
A:
1. Inventory all public-facing digital properties (sites, portals, streaming platforms, apps).
2. Run WCAG 2.1 AA audits on meeting-related content first.
3. Prioritize fixes that impact live/archived video, agendas, and packets.
4. Require accessibility documentation (such as a VPAT) from streaming and web vendors.
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