Citizen Access
People with disabilities need access to public digital services, including renewing licenses, applying for benefits, reading public notices, and paying bills. Accessibility work helps more residents complete these tasks independently.
Why It Matters
Every West Virginia resident deserves equal access to their government online.
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.
General ADA Title II deadlines
April 26, 2027 — public entities serving 50,000 or more people.
April 26, 2028 — public entities serving fewer than 50,000 people, and special district governments.
Confirm the entity's category and applicable exceptions in the official DOJ guidance. These are general dates, not a determination for this entity.
The Rule
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 generally requires covered web content and mobile apps provided by state and local governments to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA, subject to the rule's exceptions and other provisions. See the official DOJ guide to determine your obligations.
- Public entities serving 50,000+ people must comply by April 26, 2027.
- Public entities serving fewer than 50,000 (plus special districts) must comply by April 26, 2028.
- Covers county and city governments, state agencies, public schools, community colleges, public libraries, housing authorities, transit, and special-purpose districts.
The three reasons this matters now
Cost of Inaction
An inventory and a prioritized repair plan help your team understand the work, budget for review, and track progress. Costs depend on the content, complexity, and amount of human review required.
Compliance Requirements
The DOJ’s updated ADA Title II rule (28 CFR Part 35) establishes clear requirements and timelines for state and local governments. The rule generally requires WCAG 2.1 Level AA for covered web content and mobile apps, subject to its exceptions and other provisions. Confirm your applicable deadline and obligations using the official DOJ guidance.
Does this apply to me?
If you run, manage, or provide IT for any of the following in West Virginia, the answer is yes:
- Your county or city government website
- A state agency or board of examiners
- Police or sheriff's department pages
- A transit or housing authority
- A public utility, water board, or PSD
- A public school district or community college
- A public library system
- A convention & visitors bureau receiving government funding
- A regional planning / economic-development authority
- Third-party portals your agency links citizens to (permit portals, payment systems)
- Any government-published PDF forms, notices, or meeting minutes
- Any mobile app your agency offers to the public
Planning an accessibility response
A useful response combines current evidence, a repair plan, and a way for residents to report barriers. An automated score is one input to that work; it does not establish legal conformance.
Document the scope
Record which pages and documents were assessed, when the assessment ran, and which automated and human checks were performed.
Prioritize repairs
Review barriers in essential services and frequently used content first. Confirm deadlines and any exceptions with your accessibility and legal advisers.
Review the results
Keep validation evidence and arrange appropriate human review. Provide a contact route for residents who encounter barriers.
We built SiteCheck ADA to help — not to sell fear.
Start with a free preview of one PDF (up to 25 pages and 25 MB). The annual platform plan adds monitoring, reporting, and 1,500 automated PDF remediations for $4,999/year. Each PDF may have up to 25 pages and be up to 25 MB. Human review and expert remediation are separate.