Digital Accessibility Deadline Adjusted - Article Published April 28, 2026:
On April 20, 2026, the Department of Justice issued an Interim Final Rule extending the deadline for the Title II ADA web and mobile application accessibility compliance requirements. This provides state and local government entities, including Auburn University, one additional year to comply with WCAG Level 2 AA standards. The new deadline is now April 24, 2027. It does not change the standard, only the timeline to conform to the standard.
The DOJ provided justification for the extension citing concerns from education and government stakeholders, including insufficient staffing and technical resources, budget constraints, and the risk of noncompliance and litigation particularly due to the private right of action. The DOJ admitted it had overestimated the readiness of entities and the ability to remediate content, as well as the capability of technology to do so.
Auburn University remains dedicated to ensuring our online content is accessible to allow all individuals to access our programs, services, and activities. We are still expected to show good-faith progress toward digital accessibility compliance and to continue to adhere to legal obligations surrounding accessibility. Title II has always required effective communication and timely accessible alternatives.
Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has a May 11, 2026, deadline for digital accessibility requirements under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act for recipients of federal funding through HHS. Organizations receiving HHS funding must comply with similar web and mobile standards to ensure accessibility. This may impact specific units on campus receiving contracts and grants from HHS for research or to provide public or community health services. It remains to be seen whether HHS will extend their deadline as well.
The DOJ interim rule provides for planning, not a pause. We encourage units to continue to formalize digital accessibility work plans, conduct WCAG AA audits on websites, systems, and applications; work with vendors to ensure accessibility of their products and services; engage in accessibility training through ElevatED, the Biggio Center, and other professional organizations; dedicate reasonable resources toward this effort, and incorporate improvements into their strategic plans, processes, and metrics.
Please visit our website for more information about core skills, accessibility toolkit, and additional resources. Thank you for your continued efforts to improve the accessibility of our online content and to meet compliance requirements.
The contents of this Knowledge Base article were originally published on April 28, 2026, as an Office of Communications and Marketing news article. The news article was featured in the April 28th edition of the Auburn News.
Federal Accessibility Regulation Update - Original Article Published September 13, 2024:
The Office of Information Technology and the Office of Accessibility would like to notify the Auburn community about significant changes to federal regulations regarding digital accessibility.
For the past eight years, Auburn University has had an Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility (EITA) Policy that mandates that all course materials, webpages, videos, social media, and other digital content comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Level AA standard. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has enforced accessibility under the 'public places of accommodation' clause of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which has been in effect for decades.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice updated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act to address digital accessibility, applying the well-established WCAG Level AA standard. This update clarifies that nearly all digital content, including content behind login portals (such as Canvas, AU Access, Elevate, Endeavor, Tiger Buy, etc.), must be accessible. Few exemptions apply to this requirement, with a compliance deadline set for April 2026. Employees—whether faculty, A&P, or staff—are encouraged to begin creating and remediating content to ensure compliance by the deadline.
Listed below are Auburn and external resources that faculty can reference for additional guidance.
For assistance or more information, please reach out to the Office of Accessibility or Office of Information Technology. Let’s work together to ensure all our digital content meets these important requirements.
The contents of this Knowledge Base article were originally published on September 13, 2024, as an Office of Communications and Marketing news article. The news article was featured in the September 17th edition of the Auburn News.