ADA Title II Just Raised the Bar: How Small Fire Departments Can Hit WCAG 2.2 With WordPress - Social Media Explorer

"In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice quietly dropped a bombshell for local governments: a final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requiring state and local websites to comply with the WCAG 2.2, Level AA standards. For massive state agencies with dedicated IT teams, it was an expected evolution. For volunteer-led fire departments that manage their own sites between emergency calls, it was a wake-up call."

"Compliance Is Now a Legal Obligation The new rule establishes a two-year compliance window for most public entities, with smaller local governments granted up to three years. It mandates that digital content-including websites, online forms, and PDFs-must be accessible to users with disabilities. That means every emergency alert, volunteer application, and fire safety tip must be navigable via screen reader, have proper color contrast, and maintain logical tab order."

"Recent DOJ enforcement actions have already targeted small agencies. In 2023, a Florida municipality settled a case involving inaccessible fire-safety forms that lacked alternative text (alt text) and keyboard navigation. A New York county library system paid tens of thousands in remediation costs for similar oversights. The lesson? Waiting costs more than building right the first time. A Louisiana Case Study in Getting It Right"

In April 2024 the DOJ issued a final rule under Title II of the ADA requiring state and local websites to meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Most public entities have two years to comply; smaller local governments have up to three years. Required accessible digital content includes websites, online forms, and PDFs, with screen-reader compatibility, proper color contrast, and logical tab order. Recent enforcement actions targeted small agencies, producing settlements and remediation costs. Volunteer-led departments face resource challenges. One Louisiana volunteer fire department partnered with an agency to launch an accessible, mobile-responsive site that improved emergency communication and control.

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