The ADA Title II web accessibility deadline for tourism websites.

What the rule says

• The rule: the DOJ's ADA Title II rule on web content and mobile apps, published in April 2024. It lives in 28 CFR part 35, subpart H.
• Who it covers: state and local governments, including cities, counties and special districts.
• The standard: WCAG 2.1, Level AA, from the W3C. It covers things like text alternatives for images, captions for video, enough color contrast, and a site that works with a keyboard.
• What it covers: web content and mobile apps a government provides or makes available, directly or through a contract or other arrangement.

The deadlines, as of October 2026

The 2024 rule first set April 24, 2026 for large governments and April 26, 2027 for small ones. On April 20, 2026, the DOJ published an interim final rule adding one year to each:

• 50,000 people or more: April 26, 2027.
• Fewer than 50,000 people: April 26, 2028.
• Special district governments: April 26, 2028.

Population means your government's total population, from the 2020 Census where it has one. The requirements themselves didn't change. Only the dates moved.

Watch for changes either way. Public comments on the extension closed June 22, 2026. The DOJ says it plans more rulemaking on the rule's requirements during the extra year, and may propose changes. Meanwhile, in May 2026 a disability rights group sued in federal court in Maryland to undo the extension, and as of this update we found no ruling. The DOJ also says governments already have an ongoing duty under Title II to make their online services accessible, whatever the dates.

Does it cover a tourism website?

• If your tourism office is a city or county department: yes. Its website is the government's web content.
• If a vendor builds or hosts it for you: yes. The rule covers content a government provides through an arrangement with someone else, and the DOJ says content a vendor provides for you doesn't get the third-party exception.
• If a separate nonprofit runs tourism under a contract with the city: ask your city attorney. The rule reaches content provided through contracts and other arrangements, so it may apply.
• Content the public posts on its own (not on your behalf) is an exception. Content your staff or vendor post is not.

There are a few other exceptions, such as properly archived content and some documents posted before the deadline. They're narrow. The DOJ's small entity guide explains each one.

What to ask your vendor

• Does the site meet WCAG 2.1 AA today? Which pages don't?
• Can you give us an Accessibility Conformance Report (a filled-in VPAT) for the platform?
• Will you put WCAG 2.1 AA in our contract, with a date?
• Are the event and listing forms accessible, for staff and for the public?
• Do new pages, listings and events come out accessible by default (alt text, headings, contrast)?
• Are videos captioned? Are PDFs accessible, or replaced with web pages?
• Is accessibility checking included, or an extra fee?
• Who fixes problems, how fast, and at whose cost?

A simple plan for the next six months

• Find your deadline: check your population and whether you're a special district.
• List every site and app your office runs, including microsites and booking tools.
• Ask each vendor the questions above, in writing.
• Fix the pages visitors use most first: home, events, things to do, where to stay.
• Replace old PDFs visitors still need with web pages.
• Put an accessibility statement and a way to report problems on your site.

This guide is plain-English help, not legal advice. Your city attorney has the final word.