Web Standards & Guidelines
  1. Web Standards & Guidelines
  2. Notices
  3. Accessibility Requirement Changes (WCAG 2.1 AA)

Accessibility Requirement Changes

On March 3, 2025, with revisions made by the Department of Justice to title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and review by the Web Advisory Council, the following updates were made to the Accessibility (2) requirements and supplemental content:

Switching to WCAG 2.1 AA

On June 24, 2024, the Department of Justice added a new subpart H to the title II ADA regulation, 28 CFR part 35. This subpart created technical requirements for web content provided or created by state and local governments, which includes the university, to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA by April 24, 2026. This not only includes websites, but digital materials such as PDFs and course materials, as well as mobile apps (not covered by the university's web standards and guidelines).

Siteimprove, the university's web accessibility auditing tool, transitioned to WCAG 2.1 conformance in 2021, followed by the Compass Web Framework's adoption of WCAG 2.1 AA later that year. This means that if your website is connected to/regularly audited via Siteimprove and/or using the Compass Web Framework, it is likely already in compliance with little-to-no action required.

It is important for all website owners to audit their websites and make necessary fixes by April 24, 2026. If you are website owner, admin, or webmaster, and need assistance with identifying/fixing WCAG 2.1 AA compliance issues, feel free to attend a Web Services remote consultation.