It’s the date we knew was coming: a clear web and mobile accessibility standard for state and local governments, including many public colleges and universities. Here’s what changes in April 2026, what’s included (and what isn’t), and how higher ed teams can get ready.
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April 2026 is the ADA web accessibility deadline your campus can’t ignore

Accessibility

Your university website isn't just a marketing channel.

It's where prospective students decide whether to apply, and where current students actually apply.

It's how they pay tuition, register for classes, request accommodations, check financial aid, and access the services that keep them enrolled.

In other words, your website isn't a brochure. It's infrastructure.

That's why the new U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) ADA Title II web and mobile app accessibility rule is such a big deal for higher education… and the first major compliance deadline is right at our door: April 24, 2026.

If you work in higher ed marketing, communications, or web, this isn't just a legal update. It's a strategic moment.

And if this deadline is ringing alarm bells, read on.

We break down what's actually changing, what “compliance” really means in practical terms, and how marketing and web teams can prepare right now.

What's coming in April 2026, exactly?

We've all known about this since the DOJ's final rule in April 24, 2024.

It basically makes explicit what’s been implied (and litigated) for years, that state and local institutions' web content and mobile apps must meet a specific accessibility standard.

That standard is WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content and mobile apps. 
And the deadline depends on population size (as defined by DOJ guidance):

  • April 24, 2026 for state/local governments with a population of 50,000 or more.
  • April 26, 2027 for governments with a population of 0–49,999 and for special district governments.

If you're at a public university or college, you should assume this is on your radar, because even if your institution's deadline is 2027, the work is the same, and accessibility work is rarely quick.

What's changing for higher ed marketers and web teams

The biggest shift, we think, really, is clarity.

We've previously covered many updates on accessibility, and it's true that many higher ed institutions have made great strides.  

Title II already required effective communication and equal access, but the new rule pins that expectation to the measurable benchmark of WCAG 2.1 AA.

It also makes something operationally important crystal clear, that even if you use a vendor, this doesn't shield you from that compliance.

If your college or university provides or makes content/apps available, which includes through a third party (yes, like us, and many others), it generally needs to meet WCAG 2.1 AA.

So if admissions relies on third-party tools for:

  • event registration,
  • forms, payments, scheduling,
  • maps, course lookups, or chat widgets,

…they're part of your accessibility surface area.

What's included, and what exceptions really mean

We've all seen the word  “exceptions” in the regulation, and many will think that things can be postponed through it.

But it's slightly more nuanced than that: exceptions exist so you can prioritize, but they won't remove your broader ADA obligations.

The key exceptions relevant in the guidance for higher education are:

  • Archived web content can be exempt only if it meets all four DOJ conditions (created before compliance date, kept only for reference/research/recordkeeping, stored in a special archive area, and unchanged since archiving).
  • Preexisting “conventional electronic documents” (like older PDFs, Word, PowerPoint, spreadsheets) that were posted before your compliance date are often treated differently—but that exception can disappear fast if the document is updated or still actively used for a current process (like an application).
  • Third-party posts from the public (like comments on a message board) may be exempt, but content posted by your institution—even if created by a vendor—generally is not.
  • Password-protected individualized documents (like a personal bill in a secure portal) have a limited exception, but the site itself is still in scope, and you may still need to provide accessible formats on request.
  • Preexisting social media posts made before your compliance date do not need to meet WCAG 2.1 AA, but you may still need to provide accessible access when requested.

So for higher education institutions, it means the ADA won't let you use separate “accessible versions” as an easy fix.

Universities and colleges  are expected to make the main experience accessible to everyon, and separate versions are only likely to be  allowed in rare cases where a true technical or legal barrier makes that impossible.

How to prepare without overwhelming your team

You don't need to “fix everything” tomorrow (you won't be able to, anyway).

But what you can do is create a plan and a practical approach.

1) Start with a service-first inventory

Make a list of your top user journeys (not just your top pages).

All the apply, visit, request info, deposit, register, pay, request accommodations, and contact journeys..

Then map what supports them:

  • webpages and landing pages
  • forms and authentication
  • PDFs and embedded media
  • third-party tools and integrations

This keeps your accessibility work aligned to the student experience, not just to the compliance you need to reach.

2) Audit against WCAG 2.1 AA, but prioritize what students actually use

The rule's technical requirement is WCAG 2.1 AA, so your testing should explicitly measure against that standard.

In practice, though, teams move faster when they focus first on repeat offenders:

  • color contrast
  • alt text quality
  • meaningful link text
  • forms and input labels
  • keyboard navigation and focus states,
  • document accessibility (especially PDFs)

3) Fix the system, not just the page

If your templates, components, and content patterns are inaccessible, you'll be chasing bugs forever (trust us!).

Use this moment to standardize accessible building blocks and make “accessible by default” the easiest option for content contributors.

This is also where governance helps.

Clear ownership, publishing workflows, and content standards reduce the chance that accessibility regresses every time a new campaign launches.

4) Pull vendors into the tent early

There's no way around it: content and apps you provide “through an arrangement” are generally also in scope.

So procurement and vendor management need to be part of your plan now.

Ask vendors for:

  • current WCAG 2.1 AA conformance documentation,
  • an accessibility roadmap with dates,
  • support for VPATs/ACRs where applicable,
  • a named accessibility contact for remediation.

5) Train the people who publish every day

Higher ed accessibility is all about content,

Sure, policies and platforms matter, but the people creating and publishing content every day have the biggest impact.

Make sure your marketers, web managers, and content editors have a clear, practical understanding of what accessible content looks like.

Build an internal “reading list” of accessibility guides, higher ed case studies, and real-world examples so your team can turn good intentions into consistent practice.

Treat April 2026 like a student experience milestone

Compliance is the forcing function, but the win is bigger than that.

What it really means is: fewer barriers, stronger trust, and a website experience that works for everyone.

If your campus had to prove, by April 24, 2026, that your highest-value digital journeys work for people using assistive technology—which journey would you prioritize first?