Small & Special Governments Deadline Extension Opportunities

On April 20th, 2026, an interim rule to the ADA Title II web rule was announced. It moved out the compliance deadlines by one year for governments and special government organizations. This is giving agencies a lot of breathing room to determine how to make their websites, PDFs, and mobile apps accessible.

How can you make the most of this extra time? In this video, we’ll focus on how small and special governments — those who are serving populations of less than 50,000 people — can do just that.

First, don’t take on everything at once. Your entity has limits on its people and resources. Conserving your energy and time is crucial. Narrow your project scope by identifying first the digital services residents regularly rely upon, such as paying utility bills, applying for permits, catching the bus or the train, and what to do in case of emergencies. You can also create a project list that clearly defines to the agency and the public what you’re working on now and what is planned to be executed later.

One step you can begin immediately is to separate documents that are active from those that are not. Archive or remove historical information that is not currently relevant. This will reduce your agency’s legal risk and help avoid confusion while lightening up the workload in advance.

Next, narrow down your systems and fix them properly. It’s much easier to make a few systems accessible. One to three core platforms should work, including your website, service, and payment portals. Perform manual audits of those platforms — automated scans will not include all WCAG information. Fix the issues identified with the code or system configuration.

Overlays and widgets are like a Band-Aid. They partially address the website, but only if the overlay is being used. They do not resolve inaccessibility issues in the website itself for users who don’t choose to use the overlay.

And beware — some short-term fixes can create long-term legal headaches. Once-and-done accessibility solution companies are engaged in relentless marketing to small government agencies right now. Don’t buy into the hype. Overlays and widgets do not create WCAG conformance and are being cited as barriers to access for screen reader users in a growing number of lawsuits. Instead, invest in guidance from a skilled accessibility expert. Apply the remedies they recommend to your platform configuration and focus on creating clear accessibility requirements in your RFPs and contracts.

Approach accessibility from a behavior change standpoint, not just content correction. Focus training on members of your team who touch the content in your website, apps, and documents the most. Don’t give them the entire WCAG ADA checklist. Develop a good enough checklist that covers fundamentals such as heading structure, formatted bulleted lists, and alt text. Find ways to incorporate accessibility into their everyday workflow — don’t make it a special project that feels like an additional burden.

Update your procurement processes for accessibility before renewing contracts. Include clear accessibility requirements in your RFPs. Have vendors explain how they test for accessibility — don’t just take them at their word that they are ADA accessible. Add to your contracts that it’s the vendor’s responsibility to fix inaccessibility issues in their deliverables.

More importantly, consider how your vendors approach accessibility. Has your developer or website company told you to place an overlay on the final version of the website they create for you to ensure accessibility? If so, it’s likely they don’t understand how to make the website they created for you truly ADA and WCAG conformant.

Next, make it easy for your community to report accessibility barriers. This will go a long way in creating a positive public image, but it also lends credibility with the courts. Create a clear process to receive that feedback and decide who will respond and within what timeline. Finally, track issues and resolutions, letting the public know the progress you’re making. This can do a lot for building accessibility goodwill.

Look beyond the deadline and plan for a sustainable accessibility practice. Consider how your agency’s digital accessibility will look after 2028. Create a list of what you feel is reasonable for your internal team to support without having to rely on outside help. Avoid giving in to vendors that pressure you with quick remediation fixes that can ultimately put your agency at risk. Consistency will stand your organization in better stead than quick compliance.

Thanks for joining us to strategize ways your organization can make the most of the ADA web rule extension deadline. To learn more about our company, Digital Accessibility by WeCo — a group of digital accessibility professionals with lived disability experience — go to our website at theweco.com. We also invite you to join us on LinkedIn. Thank you.