Compliance deadlines are approaching for a federal rule that will affect nearly every document public agencies post online. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II rule, state and local government agency websites, mobile apps, and online documents (including PDFs) must meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards. This requirement means that reports, forms, technical appendices, staff reports, and all other PDFs posted to agency websites must be readable and navigable by people using assistive technologies such as screen readers (e.g., Job Access with Speech [JAWS], Non-Visual Desktop Access [NVDA]). Standard “business as usual” PDFs will no longer meet the requirements.
Accessible, WCAG 2.1 Level AA–compliant PDFs must include:
- a clear document structure with tags (headings, lists, tables, links);
- a logical reading order;
- meaningful alternative text for maps, charts, and images;
- simple tables with no merged cells that do not rely on color alone to convey meaning;
- appropriate metadata (title, author, language, subject); and
- sufficient color contrast and font sizes.
For a plain-language summary of the full rule and guidance on first steps toward compliance, the US Department of Justice has published helpful resources on ADA.gov: Fact Sheet on the New Rule and First Steps Toward Compliance.
Compliance deadlines under the ADA Title II rule are based on population size:
- Public entities serving populations of 50,000+ people: All digital documents must be compliant by April 24, 2026.
- Public entities serving fewer than 50,000 people and special districts: All digital documents must be compliant by April 26, 2027.
For clients working with Ascent, we understand these requirements and are equipped to help ensure the documents we produce together meet ADA Title II standards. Have questions about what this means for your agency? We’re happy to help. Please reach out to the authors of this AscentShare or your preferred Ascent contact.
