The Americans with Disabilities Act · Titles II & III
Your website is your front door.
The ADA is the civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, and it has generally been interpreted to apply to websites. This site explains what the law expects, what the standard measures, and how to reach compliance.
- The Law
- Accessibility
- Compliance
Article I · The Law
Two titles, two obligations
The ADA reaches websites through two different sections of the law, and they now sit on different legal footing. Knowing which one applies to you determines your deadline and your risk.
Title III
Private businesses
Applies to places of public accommodation: stores, restaurants, hotels, banks, medical practices, and the websites they operate. There is no codified web regulation for Title III. Compliance pressure comes from lawsuits and demand letters, and courts consistently look to WCAG 2.1 AA as the benchmark.
Title II
State and local government
A 2024 Department of Justice rule requires government websites and mobile apps to meet WCAG 2.1 AA. The deadlines: April 26, 2027 for entities serving populations of 50,000 or more, and April 26, 2028 for smaller entities and special district governments.
Federal agencies are covered separately by Section 508, which points to the same technical standard.
Article II · The Standard
WCAG 2.1 AA is the benchmark
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines define what an accessible website means in practice. The requirements organize under four principles.
Perceivable
Content can be seen or heard, with text alternatives for images and captions for video.
Operable
Everything works by keyboard, with enough time to act and nothing that traps focus.
Understandable
Pages read clearly and behave predictably, with labeled forms and helpful error messages.
Robust
Code is clean enough for assistive technologies like screen readers to parse reliably.
Learn how the standard works in plain terms on the accessibility page, or work through the requirements with the ADA website checklist.
Article III · Compliance
A program, not a plugin
Compliance holds up when it is built on real evaluation and repair. Four services carry the weight.
Audit
A manual WCAG 2.1 AA evaluation that documents exactly what needs to be fixed.
Remediation
Fixing the issues the audit found, in code, in content, and in documents.
Monitoring
Ongoing checks that catch new issues as the website changes over time.
Training
Teaching your team to publish accessible content so compliance lasts.
A note on scope
Educational, in plain language
This site explains the law in human terms. It is not legal advice. For advice on your specific situation, consult qualified counsel. If you want help with the work itself, contact us.