Department of Justice Issues Web Accessibility Guidance Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

March 21, 2022

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has published guidance on web accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to inform state and local governments and businesses open to the public on how to ensure their websites are accessible to people with disabilities. This guidance uses plain language and clear examples to review Title II and Title III of the ADA, the importance of web accessibility, barriers that inaccessible websites create for some people with disabilities, requirements of the ADA to web content, and tips on making web content accessible.

DOJ’s guidance also notes available resources on web accessibility, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) issued by the World Wide Web Consortium and information on Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act from the U.S. Access Board and the General Services Administration. Section 508 requires information and communication technology (ICT) in the federal sector, including websites, to be accessible. The Board’s Section 508 Standards include requirements federal agency websites and reference the WCAG (version 2.0).

For further information on web accessibility under the ADA, contact DOJ through its ADA helpline at 1-800-514-0301 (voice) or 1-800-514-0383 (TTY).

Technical guidance on website accessibility and the Section 508 Standards is available from the Board at [email protected], 1-800-872-2253 (voice), or 1-800-993-2822 (TTY). The Board also provides training on Section 508 Standards upon request and conducts a free webinar series to provide helpful information and best practices in meeting Section 508 Standards. To learn more or to register for a webinar in the Section 508 Best Practices Series, visit www.accessibilityonline.org/cioc-508. Past webinars are archived and available at www.accessibilityonline.org/cioc-508/archives.

Source: U.S. Access Board