Guide
Accessibility and language access deadlines for public agencies
The dates, who they apply to, and what changed in 2025. We re-read the sources each time this page is updated.
Last reviewed October 20, 2026. General information for public agencies, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the sources below and ask your lawyer or civil rights office what applies to you.
Website and document accessibility
| Rule | Who it covers | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADA Title II web and mobile app rule (DOJ) | State and local governments serving 50,000 people or more | April 26, 2027 | Standard is WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Moved back one year by an April 2026 interim final rule. |
| ADA Title II web and mobile app rule (DOJ) | Smaller governments and all special district governments | April 26, 2028 | Same standard, same interim final rule. |
| Section 504 web rule (HHS) | Recipients of HHS funding | May 2026 was the original date | Law firm alerts disagreed about whether HHS would move it. Check HHS directly before you rely on a date. |
The extension moves the compliance date only. Other disability-nondiscrimination obligations still apply, and private parties can still bring claims. For what the rule means for PDFs, read which PDFs Title II requires you to fix.
Language access
Federal language access guidance changed in 2025. In short:
- March 2025: Executive Order 14224 designated English as the official language of the United States and revoked Executive Order 13166, which had been the basis for federal language access guidance since 2000.
- April 2025: The Department of Justice published a notice in the Federal Register rescinding its guidance to recipients of federal funds on Title VI and limited English proficiency.
- July 2025: The DOJ issued interim guidance telling federal agencies to reduce non-essential multilingual services.
What did not change: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the ADA and Section 504 are still law, and the executive order does not by itself change federal regulations that require language access. Many states and cities have their own language access laws that do not depend on the federal guidance. How far your obligations reach depends on your funding, your state and your locality, so ask your lawyer or civil rights office. Our language access guide has the plain-language version.
How we keep this page
We re-read the sources each time we update this page and change the “last reviewed” date at the top only then. If you see a date that looks wrong, tell us.
Sources
- Duane Morris: DOJ extends ADA Title II digital accessibility deadlines by one year
- Jackson Lewis: DOJ extends deadline, HHS May 2026 deadline still looms
- AAPD statement on the Title II web rule interim final rule
- Federal Register: rescission of Title VI LEP guidance (April 15, 2025)
- Congressional Research Service: Executive Order 13166
- National Law Review: DOJ guidance directs federal agencies to minimize multilingual services
- National Immigration Law Center: attempts to dismantle language access do not erase civil rights law