ADA Title II website deadlines for East Texas public offices.
A federal rule requires state and local government websites, documents and mobile apps to meet an accessibility standard called WCAG 2.1 Level AA. In April 2026 the U.S. Department of Justice moved the deadlines back one year. Here is which date applies to your office, what the rule covers and where to start.
The two deadlines
The Department of Justice published the rule on April 24, 2024. An interim final rule on April 20, 2026 extended the compliance dates by one year. The standard itself did not change.
| Your public entity | Compliance date |
|---|---|
| Population of 50,000 or more | April 26, 2027 |
| Population under 50,000 | April 26, 2028 |
| Any special district government, whatever its size | April 26, 2028 |
The dates can change again, so check the ADA.gov guidance on the rule before you plan around them. Your existing duty under the ADA to communicate effectively with people with disabilities applies now, not only after the deadline.
Which date applies to your office
- Cities and counties use their population from the 2020 Census. Longview and Tyler, and Gregg and Smith counties, are all above 50,000, so their date is April 26, 2027. Smaller cities such as Kilgore, Marshall and Jefferson, and counties such as Upshur and Panola, are below 50,000, so their date is April 26, 2028.
- Departments and offices without their own population figure use the population of the government they belong to. A city police department uses the city’s population.
- Independent school districts use the most recent Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. A school district is not a special district government.
- Special district governments, such as many water and utility districts, have until April 26, 2028 regardless of size. If you are not sure whether your district counts, ask your attorney.
To look up a population figure, search for your city, county or school district on data.census.gov.
What the rule covers
The rule covers web content and mobile apps that your office provides or makes available. That includes content provided for you by a contractor or vendor, such as an online payment portal, a permit system or agenda software. It is not limited to your home page.
- Web pages, menus, search and contact forms
- PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Excel files posted on your website
- Meeting agendas, minutes, budgets and public notices
- Permit applications and other forms people use to request services
- Videos and recorded meetings that you post
- Mobile apps that you offer, including apps run by a vendor for you
What is exempt, and the conditions
There are five exceptions. Each has conditions, and none of them removes your duty to provide information in an accessible way when someone asks.
- Archived web content: created before the compliance date (or a copy of older paper records), kept only for reference, research or recordkeeping, kept in a separate archive area, and not changed since it was archived.
- Older documents: PDF, word processing, presentation and spreadsheet files posted before the compliance date. This exception does not cover documents people currently use to apply for, access or take part in your services, such as an application form still in use.
- Third-party content: content posted by someone who is not acting for you, such as a resident’s comment. Content from your contractors and vendors is not exempt.
- Individual secured documents: document files about a specific person, property or account that are password-protected or otherwise secured, such as an individual bill.
- Older social media posts: posts your office made before the compliance date.
What to fix first
- Make a list. Write down your website pages, document types, online forms and vendor tools. You can’t plan what you haven’t counted.
- Fix what people use to get services. Applications, permit forms, payment pages and service request forms don’t qualify for the older-documents exception, so start there.
- Fix recurring documents at the source. Agendas, minutes and notices are posted every month. An accessible template and a short checklist mean every new one starts out right, which costs less than fixing each one after posting. See how to make a scanned meeting agenda accessible.
- Check your main pages. Home, contact, meetings and the pages residents visit most should work with a keyboard, a screen reader and a phone.
- Ask your vendors. Ask each vendor whose tool you use for its accessibility conformance report, sometimes called a VPAT, and what it plans to fix before your deadline.
- Decide what to do with old documents. For each older file, decide whether to fix it, move it to a proper archive area or remove it.
How Texas81 can help
Texas81 prepares accessible documents and web reading copies, and builds websites for East Texas public offices. Each job includes a plain-English findings report, and your office keeps the final say. See document accessibility help or city and district website design.
Common questions
Did the ADA Title II website deadline change?
Yes. On April 20, 2026 the Department of Justice extended the dates by one year. Public entities with 50,000 or more people now have until April 26, 2027. Smaller entities and all special district governments have until April 26, 2028.
Did the accessibility standard change?
No. The rule still requires WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content and mobile apps.
Do we have to fix every old PDF on our website?
Not always. Documents posted before your compliance date can be exempt, unless people currently use them to apply for, access or take part in your services. Documents you post after the date are covered.
Our agenda software comes from a vendor. Is it covered?
Yes. The rule covers content that a contractor or vendor provides for your office. Ask the vendor for its accessibility conformance report.
Does our special district get more time?
Yes. Special district governments have until April 26, 2028, whatever their population. A school district is not a special district government.
Talk to Texas81This guide is general information, not legal advice. Texas81 is not a law firm and does not certify legal compliance. Confirm the requirements, dates and exceptions that apply to your office with your attorney.