Publication

12 February 2026

New ADA Rules for District Websites & Apps

The federal government will soon be, yet again, scrutinizing school district websites / online platforms to ensure compliance with accessibility standards.  Premised on new regulations adopted in June 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) now requires public school districts to make their websites and mobile apps accessible for people with disabilities. Districts must follow the WCAG 2.1 Level AA (“WCAG”) standard for making online content usable for everyone.  Districts must ensure that all online content they create or provide is accessible, including:

  • Learning Tools: Platforms like  Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas, and video tools must support screen readers, captions, keyboard use, and proper color contrast.
  • District Websites & Online Systems: Registration, transportation schedules, parent portals, HR/payroll systems, and PDFs must all be accessible.
  • Vendor Tools: Districts remain responsible for accessibility even when vendors supply the product—such as online payments, digital libraries, and learning apps.

The reason this has received little fanfare to date is because the compliance deadlines were set way out into the future when the regulations were adopted.  The applicable deadlines are based on  population of the school community being served, NOT on student enrollment, as follows:

  • April 24, 2026 – Districts with 50,000+ people
  • April 26, 2027 – Districts with under 50,000 people

Click Here to check your population using this Census tool.

Importantly, the regulations provide some exceptions of things that school districts

do not need to fix:

  • Archived/old content
  • Old documents not currently used
  • Third‑party posts not under contract
  • Individualized, password-protected or otherwise secured conventional electronic documents
  • Old social media posts

Importantly, if making something accessible would fundamentally change a program or create an undue financial and administrative burden, districts must: (i) document why; and (ii) offer an alternative way for people with disabilities to access the information or service.

Districts should confirm their deadline, review all online content for accessibility, update vendor contracts, assign someone to lead the work, fix the highest‑use items first, and set up ongoing checks—working closely with your IT department throughout.

For inquiries, please contact the Education team at Miller Johnson.