City and school websites: plan for accessibility deadlines.
A federal rule from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) says city, county and school websites and mobile apps must be usable by people with disabilities. Larger entities have until April 26, 2027. Smaller ones have until April 26, 2028. We test your site, fix the items we agree on, work through PDFs in order of use, and send a dated monthly page showing your progress. We can work with your existing web vendor.
A short note from the outside of your site, with no logins.
Possible deadline, for your attorney to confirmDATE
Pages we looked atCOUNT
Visible barriers, worst firstLIST
PDF links found on the pages checkedCOUNT
Example only, not a real client’s results.
Who it’s for
IT staff, clerks and communications staff at cities, towns, counties, school districts, special districts and public colleges in South Florida. Especially offices where a web vendor runs the site, staff post agendas and forms as PDFs, and nobody is sure the April 2027 or April 2028 date has been planned for.
Why this matters
The date moved. The duty did not.
The first date is April 26, 2027, for governments serving 50,000 or more people.
THE DEADLINE
One year later, same standard
The DOJ rule says state and local government web content and mobile apps must meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA (the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, a public checklist of accessibility rules). In April 2026 the DOJ moved the dates. Entities with a population of 50,000 or more now have until April 26, 2027. Entities under 50,000, and special districts, have until April 26, 2028. The DOJ said the change does not alter any other part of the 2024 rule. For a school district, the date follows the population of its city or county, or the federal estimate for an independent district.
Old PDFs in use still count, and so does vendor work
The rule has an exception for some documents posted before your deadline. It does not apply to documents people still use to apply for, reach or take part in your services. Ask your attorney which of your documents qualify. We can list them for review. The DOJ also says an entity is still responsible for the accessibility of its web content and apps even if it outsources the work. Hiring a vendor helps. It does not move the responsibility.
We cannot promise your site will pass, or that you will never receive a complaint. We are not lawyers, and we do not give legal advice. Your attorney or county counsel should confirm whether the rule covers your entity, which date applies and whether any exception or “undue burden” claim fits. The DOJ has also said it will consider proposing changes to the 2024 rule. It added that, if it does not, and nothing else suggests a delay, it expects to enforce at the new dates. So the dates or details could change again. We plan for the current dates and watch for updates. Some fixes also depend on your web vendor or software, and we cannot force them.
How it works
Find it. Fix it. Show it.
We start with what residents, parents and students actually do on your site: pay a bill, find a meeting, register, read a notice. Those pages come first.
Staff time is limited, so we ask for one contact person and plain answers. We do not need your passwords to start.
Already have a web vendor? Keep them. We can work as a subcontractor, give them a clear fix list and check the result.
1
Test the site
We list the pages, forms, apps and documents people use. Then we test them against WCAG 2.1 AA with automated tools and by hand, including keyboard-only use and a screen reader (software that reads a page aloud for people who are blind). You get a ranked list, worst problems first.
2
Fix the agreed items and PDFs
We write fix requests for your web vendor in plain terms, or make fixes ourselves where you give us access. We agree in writing which pages and PDFs to repair, and how many to recheck each month. PDFs still in use come first. Your attorney can advise which older ones may qualify for an exception.
3
Keep proof, month by month
Each month we re-test the pages and documents we agreed on in writing. You get a dated one-page record of what was checked, what was fixed and what is still open.
What you can buy
Test it. Fix it. Then keep proof.
Start with the free check. If you want more, an audit is usually the first paid step, then you choose the pieces you need.
01 / TESTStart here
Accessibility audit
A clear picture of where your site stands against the standard.
The pages, forms and apps people use most
Testing with tools and by hand against the WCAG 2.1 AA standard
A ranked fix list written for your staff and your vendor
You get: a written report and a fix list.
02 / FIXThe work
Fixes and PDFs
The problems fixed, or handed to your vendor in a form they can act on.
Fix requests for your vendor, or fixes we make with your approval
The PDFs and forms we agree on in writing, repaired or replaced
Re-testing after each round of fixes
You get: fewer barriers, and a record of each change.
03 / PROVEEvery month
Monthly proof
New agendas, notices and pages arrive all the time. We recheck an agreed number each month so problems do not pile up.
The pages and documents we agree on, re-tested each month
A dated one-page report you can file or share with your board
A short list of what to fix next, and who owns it
You get: dated proof of steady effort.
The price depends on the size of your site, how many apps and PDFs you have, and how much your vendor can do. You get it in writing after the free check, before you pay anything.
Your monthly proof
What we tested. What is fixed.
One page, in plain words, dated every month. Built to be filed with your records.
What we tested
Which pages, forms and documents we checked this month, and how.
What was fixed
The problems closed since last month, and who closed them.
What is still open
The problems that remain, who owns each one, and the date we will look again.
Othex / Sample monthly proofSample
Website accessibility: this month
Sample layout, not a real client’s results.
Pages and forms re-testedCOUNT
Documents recheckedCOUNT
Problems fixed since last monthCOUNT
Still open, with ownerLIST
Every entry is dated and says what was tested.
Free deadline date check
Which date may be yours, and where do you stand?
Ask for a free deadline date check. From the outside, with free tools, we spend up to 30 minutes on your home page and one public page people rely on, such as pay a bill or the meeting calendar. We summarize the barriers we can see and how many PDF links are on those pages. We also note which date the DOJ’s guidance may point to for your population, for your attorney to confirm. We reply within one business day. No cost and no obligation.
If you want our help after that, you get what we will do, the timing and the price in writing before you pay anything.
Tell us your entity’s name, its population if you know it, and who runs your website today. Please don’t send passwords. We never need them for this check.
Pick by who you are and what needs work. A business website people can’t use: website accessibility. PDFs and forms people can’t fill in: PDFs and forms for everyone. A city, county or school website with federal deadlines: this one.
Does this rule apply to us?
The DOJ lists public schools, community colleges, public universities, public libraries and local government offices among the covered entities. Your attorney or county counsel should confirm whether it covers your specific entity and which date applies.
Which date is ours?
The DOJ sets April 26, 2027 for entities with a population of 50,000 or more, and April 26, 2028 for smaller ones and special districts. For a city or county school district, the DOJ says to use the population of the city or the county. An independent school district uses its own population in the 2022 federal estimates (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates).
Our web vendor says they handle accessibility. Is that enough?
Maybe not all of it. The DOJ says your entity stays responsible even when the work is outsourced, and suggests reviewing vendor contracts. We can work as a subcontractor to your vendor, test what they deliver and give you a dated record. You do not have to replace them.
What about all our old PDFs?
Some older documents may qualify for an exception, but not ones still used to apply for, reach or take part in your services. Ask your attorney which ones. We can list your documents for review. We agree in writing which PDFs to repair, starting with those people use. Our PDFs and forms page explains how we fix them.
Can an accessibility widget on our site solve this?
We would not rely on one alone. The rule is about WCAG 2.1 AA results on your pages, forms, apps and documents. We test the pages, forms and documents themselves. Our website accessibility page has more on how we test.
Will this protect us from complaints or lawsuits?
No one can promise that. The DOJ says that, regardless of the dates, entities already have an ongoing duty under Title II of the ADA to make their web services accessible. Our work lowers the number of barriers and gives you dated records of your effort. Your attorney can advise on legal risk.
What does it cost?
The price depends on the size of your site, how many apps and PDFs you have, and what your vendor can do. You get it in writing after the free check, before you pay anything.