ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
The ADA is a US civil-rights law that bans disability discrimination. Courts and the Department of Justice now treat business websites and apps as covered, using WCAG as the standard.
The ADA became law in 1990, long before the web mattered. It doesn't name a technical standard in its text, but US courts have repeatedly ruled that Title III — which covers "places of public accommodation" — applies to the websites and apps of businesses open to the public. In April 2024 the DOJ made this explicit for state and local government (Title II), formally requiring WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
Title III covers private businesses that serve the public — shops, banks, restaurants, healthcare, hotels, and their digital equivalents. Title II covers state and local governments. If US customers can use your website or app, assume the ADA applies to you.
There is no ADA "certificate", but in practice you need to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA — the benchmark courts and the DOJ use. That means an audit, remediation of what fails, and ideally an accessibility statement.
Title III obligations already apply. DOJ reports that the Title II web and mobile compliance dates were extended in April 2026: April 26, 2027 for entities with populations of 50,000 or more, and April 26, 2028 for smaller entities and special district governments. Check the current DOJ rule and exceptions for your entity.
This is the most-litigated accessibility law in the world — thousands of ADA website lawsuits are filed every year, plus demand letters that settle quietly. Penalties, legal fees and reputational damage add up fast, and an overlay widget won't protect you.
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