In our November blog last year, we wrote about the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) new rule aimed at improving accessibility across government websites and digital services. Now, with the first compliance deadline arriving in April 2026, the conversation is shifting. The question for many organizations is no longer what the rule says — it’s whether they’re ready and comply with it. Accessibility is no longer simply encouraged — it is now a regulated requirement with defined standards and deadlines.
For many organizations, the scope of the work only becomes clear once accessibility efforts begin. What starts as a website review often expands and identifies older PDFs, embedded videos without captions, online forms, and third-party tools that were never evaluated through an accessibility lens. These gaps can create real barriers for people who rely on screen readers, captions, keyboard navigation, and other assistive technologies to access public information and services.
The significance of the DOJ’s ruling is that it removes uncertainty around accessibility expectations. By tying compliance directly to WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the federal government has established a clear technical benchmark for accessible digital content.
With the deadline just weeks away, time is becoming the biggest challenge. Conducting accessibility audits, remediating digital content, adding captions to videos and building sustainable accessibility practices cannot happen overnight. Organizations that begin this process now have the advantage of identifying gaps early and addressing them strategically rather than rushing through last-minute fixes.
The Viscardi Center supports public agencies, educational institutions, nonprofits, and companies working toward WCAG 2.1 alignment and preparing for the DOJ requirements. Our Digital Accessibility Services include website and mobile-app audits, document remediation support, video captioning and audio description, as well as guidance for sustainable accessibility practices.
Learn more about making websites and digital assets accessible.
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Michael Caprara Chief Information Officer, The Viscardi Center |
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