The Justice Department has pushed back deadlines for a new rule requiring public colleges, K-12 schools, local governments and other public institutions to make their digital materials accessible to people with disabilities.
The rule, which updates Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and ties federal requirements to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1), had a compliance date this week that many institutions and disability advocates had been preparing for. Instead, DOJ issued an interim final rule saying it “overestimated the capabilities (whether staffing or technology) of covered entities to comply with the rule in the time frames provided.”
Under the change, public entities serving 50,000 or more people now have until April 26, 2027, to meet the standards. Smaller public institutions get until April 26, 2028. The original federal deadline was April 24, 2026.
Advocates and disability organizations reacted angrily. Corbb O’Connor, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota, said the delay was an affront: “We are outraged… Yet again, the blind have been told to wait to live on terms of equality.” O’Connor noted that international accessibility standards have existed for decades and stressed the local impact of clear timelines.
The rule would have given institutions a defined checklist — including transcripts for audio, captions for video, and making PDFs and webpages compatible with screen readers — to help ensure digital materials are accessible. Jennifer Mathis, who helped craft the rule while at the Justice Department, argued the guidance was intended to provide “certainty and clarity for everyone,” and called the postponement “mindless and cruel” after a long rulemaking process.
Advocacy groups for higher education disability staff also criticized the delay. Katy Washington, president of the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), said postponing updates “slows critical momentum and leaves institutions without the clarity needed to fully realize equitable access.”
DOJ cited concerns raised by education groups about the cost and staffing needed to comply. The School Superintendents Association (AASA) — which surveyed its members and urged the federal government for more time — said many districts are financially stretched. Sasha Pudelski of AASA said the requirement’s scope and unfunded nature reflect a “significant disconnect between federal expectations and the fiscal and human capital realities of local school systems.”
The delay comes amid ongoing legal pressure that has already forced some institutions to make changes. Disability advocates and students have pursued lawsuits and settlements holding colleges and universities accountable for inaccessible online content, and some institutions have reached agreements with the Department of Justice over online accessibility.
People who depend on digital accessibility say the issue isn’t theoretical. Miranda Lacy and Harold Rogers, who are blind and who completed undergraduate degrees at West Virginia State University, say their current graduate program has failed to make learning materials accessible; they have filed a lawsuit alleging unequal access.
Supporters of the rule say clear federal standards will reduce confusion and litigation by giving schools and other public entities a concrete technical roadmap. Opponents warning about cost and staffing say more funding and time are needed to implement the changes. With the new deadlines, federal enforcement of the digital accessibility rule will be delayed at least a year for larger public entities and longer for smaller ones.