Digital Accessibility Laws in United States

15 states & territories with digital accessibility laws.

Digital Accessibility Laws › United States

National Laws

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act

29 U.S.C. § 794d

Requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Applies when federal agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use ICT. The 2017 refresh updated the technical standards to align with WCAG 2.0 Level AA.

WCAG Standard
2.0 AA
Applies To
Federal agencies
Enforcement
Complaint
Enacted
1998
Official source →

ADA Title II Web Accessibility Rule

28 CFR Part 35

The 2024 DOJ rulemaking under ADA Title II explicitly requires state and local government websites and mobile apps to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Compliance deadlines: public entities with 50,000+ population by April 24, 2026; smaller entities by April 26, 2027.

WCAG Standard
2.1 AA
Applies To
State and local government entities
Enforcement
Complaint
Enacted
2024
Official source →

ADA Title III (Applied to Websites)

42 U.S.C. § 12181 et seq.

Prohibits discrimination by places of public accommodation. Courts and the DOJ have applied Title III to commercial websites, requiring accessibility for businesses open to the public. No specific WCAG standard is mandated by statute, but courts frequently reference WCAG 2.1 AA.

Applies To
Private businesses and places of public accommodation
Enforcement
Lawsuit
Enacted
1990
Official source →

States & Territories

Jurisdiction Law WCAG Year
California California Government Code Section 7405 2.0 AA 2017
Colorado Colorado HB 21-1110 — IT Accessibility 2.1 AA 2021
Connecticut Connecticut State Agency Website Accessibility Law 2.0 AA 2008
Illinois Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act 2.0 AA 2007
Louisiana Louisiana Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Law 2.0 AA 2010
Maryland Maryland Web Accessibility Standards for State Websites 2.0 AA 2017
Minnesota Minnesota Statutes — IT Accessibility for State Government 2.0 AA 2009
North Carolina North Carolina Web Accessibility Standards for State Agencies 2.0 AA 2005
New York New York State Technology Law Section 103 2.0 AA 2013
Oregon Oregon Statewide Web Accessibility Standards 2.0 AA 2017
South Carolina South Carolina Website Accessibility Law 2.0 AA 2016
Texas Texas Government Code — Electronic and Information Resources Accessibility 2.0 AA 2006
Virginia Virginia Information Technologies Agency Web Accessibility Standards 2.0 AA 2001
Washington Washington State Accessibility Standard for Information Technology 2.0 AA 2009
Wisconsin Wisconsin Administrative Code — State Web Accessibility Standards 2.0 AA 2014