This Deadline Affects More Small Municipalities Than You Might Think
Under updated ADA Title II rules, accessibility requirements apply to:
- Cities, boroughs, and townships
- Counties and regional authorities
- Public K–12 school districts
- Public colleges and universities
For larger governments, the deadline is April 24, 2026. Smaller jurisdictions have more time, but many still face pressure from complaints, audits, or funding requirements well before 2027.
Why Many Smaller Municipalities Are Just Finding Out
In our experience, smaller municipalities often face the same obstacles:
- Websites built years ago and rarely updated
- Limited budgets for redesigns or audits
- Heavy reliance on volunteers or part-time staff
- Third-party themes, plugins, and PDFs that were never reviewed for accessibility
The result is a last-minute scramble — not because of neglect, but because accessibility guidance hasn’t always been clear or practical.
A Practical Path Forward (Even on Short Timelines)
Accessibility work doesn’t have to mean a full rebuild or a massive contract.
For smaller municipalities, we typically focus on:
- Targeted accessibility audits to identify high-risk issues
- Priority remediation on core pages and templates
- Mobile accessibility testing, including zoom behavior
- Editor guidance to prevent new issues going forward
This approach helps reduce risk quickly while staying realistic about time and budget.
Accessibility Services for Public-Sector Websites
We provide accessibility testing, remediation, and optimization for platforms commonly used by government and education organizations, including Drupal, WordPress, and Joomla.
Our accessibility work typically includes:
- Audits to identify accessibility gaps and risk areas
- Remediation and development aligned with WCAG standards
- Ongoing monitoring as content and features change
- Guidance and training for content editors and technical staff
Our focus is practical compliance—fixes that actually improve usability and can be maintained over time.
Tools We Use
We combine manual testing with trusted open-source and industry tools, including:
- EditorIA11y (open source plugins for Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla)
- WAVE for visual accessibility audits
- Axe DevTools for developer-focused testing
- Google Lighthouse for automated accessibility insights
Automated tools help surface issues quickly, but they’re always paired with human review to ensure the site works for real users.
If You’re Behind, Start With Clarity
If your municipality hasn’t reviewed accessibility recently, the worst move is doing nothing. A short assessment can clarify what’s urgent, what can wait, and what’s already in good shape.
If you’re part of a smaller municipality, school district, or public organization trying to make sense of the April 2026 deadline, we’re happy to help you find a realistic way forward.
