According to the CDC, nearly 1 in 4 West Virginia adults report a disability — vision, hearing, mobility, cognition, or self-care — the highest rate in the United States. When a city or state website fails WCAG 2.1, those residents can't renew a tag, apply for a benefit, or read a public notice without help. Accessibility isn't just a legal requirement — it's how government serves everyone. The Department of Justice requires those websites to be accessible by April 26, 2027 (50,000+ population) or April 26, 2028 (under 50,000). Here's what that means for you.
On April 24, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice published its final rule updating regulations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (28 CFR Part 35). It sets a clear technical standard: all web content and mobile apps that a state or local government provides, or makes available, must conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
1 in 4 West Virginia residents live with a disability — the highest rate in the United States (CDC). Every resident deserves equal access to their government’s digital services — renewing licenses, applying for benefits, reading public notices, and paying bills. When websites aren’t accessible, we leave people behind.
Proactive compliance is significantly less expensive than reactive remediation after a complaint. Early action protects your budget and your community, while waiting can lead to mandatory monitoring, third-party audits, and public reporting at the agency’s expense.
The DOJ’s updated ADA Title II rule (28 CFR Part 35) establishes clear requirements and timelines for state and local governments. Websites must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards by the applicable deadline, and the Department of Justice is actively monitoring compliance.
If you run, manage, or provide IT for any of the following in West Virginia, the answer is yes:
We share this information not to alarm, but to help you understand the landscape and plan proactively. The Justice Department has been actively enforcing web-accessibility complaints for years — even before the 2024 rule formalized WCAG 2.1 AA.
Jurisdictions that settle with DOJ typically commit to 3–5 years of third-party monitoring, hire a full-time accessibility coordinator, train staff, and repair every failure found by the independent auditor — all at the agency's own expense.
In 2023, over 4,000 ADA website accessibility lawsuits were filed nationwide. Legal fees and remediation for a single contested case routinely exceed $100,000 — before any damages.
DOJ consent decrees are public record. Complaints often name specific officials and IT vendors, and local press coverage is almost guaranteed.
Let us show you where your site stands, free of charge. Our $500 compliance report tells you exactly what's failing on your website, which pages, and how to fix it. Most agencies can have violations patched weeks before the deadline and avoid every category of liability above.