EdLaw
ADA Title II Web and Mobile Accessibility Rule (28 CFR Part 35, Subpart H)
The Department of Justice rule requiring state and local government entities — public school districts included — to make their web content and mobile apps conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Adopted 24 April 2024 (AG Order No. 5919-2024, 89 FR 31320, effective 24 June 2024); the compliance dates were extended by AG Order No. 6742-2026 (91 FR 20912, 20 April 2026) to 26 April 2027 for public entities with a population of 50,000 or more and 26 April 2028 for smaller entities and special district governments (§35.200(b)).
The load-bearing phrase for vendors: the duty covers web content and mobile apps a public entity "provides or makes available, directly or through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements" (§35.200(b)(1)) — a district cannot discharge it without conformance from its EdTech suppliers, which is why WCAG 2.1 AA clauses are appearing in US district contracts now, ahead of the deadlines.
Applicability to EdTech
- Vendor-hosted portals and apps used by districts are in scope through the "arrangements" language (§35.200(b)); the technical bar is WCAG 2.1 Level A + AA as incorporated by reference in §35.104.
- The exceptions are narrow and content-based (§35.201): archived web content, preexisting conventional electronic documents (unless currently used to apply for/access services), third-party content the entity doesn't control, individualized password-protected documents, preexisting social media posts.
- Conforming alternate versions are permitted only where technical/legal limitations prevent direct conformance (§35.202); equivalent facilitation allows alternative designs providing substantially equivalent or greater accessibility (§35.203).
- Minimal-impact noncompliance is tolerated only where it would not affect use "with substantially equivalent timeliness, privacy, independence, and ease of use" (§35.205).
- The general fundamental-alteration / undue-burdens defence is built into §35.200(b) itself.
Contents
| Document | Covers |
|---|---|
| DEFINITIONS.md | 28 CFR §35.104 — Title II definitions incl. WCAG 2.1, web content, mobile application |
| REQUIREMENTS.md | §§35.200–35.203 — the WCAG 2.1 AA duty and dates, exceptions, alternate versions, equivalent facilitation |
| DUTIES-AND-COMPLIANCE.md | §§35.204–35.205 — duties, minimal-impact noncompliance |
Key obligations at a glance
- WCAG 2.1 Level A + AA conformance for web content and mobile apps by 26 April 2027 (population ≥ 50,000) or 26 April 2028 (smaller/special districts) (§35.200(b)).
- The duty travels through procurement — content "made available … through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements" counts (§35.200(b)).
Enforcement
DOJ enforcement and private actions under the ADA's existing Title II machinery (28 CFR Part 35 Subpart F; not extracted). No new penalty regime was created by the web rule.
Related
- Section 504 / Section 508 — the companion accessibility duties districts cite alongside Title II (pending — TODO item 10)
- FERPA — the privacy companion in the same district contracts
- EU Web Accessibility Directive — the EU public-sector analogue (EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA)
Sources
- eCFR — 28 CFR Part 35, Subpart H, current text
- 89 FR 31320 (24 April 2024) — final rule
- 91 FR 20912 (20 April 2026) — AG Order No. 6742-2026 extending the §35.200(b) compliance dates
- ADA.gov — web rule resources
Meta
Regulation text in the content documents is reproduced verbatim from the eCFR current text and built/re-verified mechanically by tools/ecfr/build_us_regs.py (verify mode; do not hand-edit). The amendment history and extended dates are taken from the section's own CITA line (AG Order No. 6742-2026, 91 FR 20912) as served by the eCFR. Anchors mirror the eCFR fragment scheme ({#p-35-200-b-1} ↔ #p-35.200(b)(1)).