Be prepared, learn about the ruling

Below are two official links from ADA.gov to learn more about the new ruling. 

For management, communicators, IT, purchasers, and those with vendors or contractors:

Fact Sheet

• New Rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Governments.
• This Fact Sheet web page from ADA.gov contains highlights of the requirements, a summary of the exceptions, and more.
• Expand all the accordion links and thoroughly go through them with your teams to start incorporating this knowledge into your planning process.

Exceptions

Consider if your content qualifies as an exception:

• Archived web content (example: archived General Catalogs)
• Preexisting conventional electronic documents that will never be changed again (example: annual report)
• Some 3rd party content
• Individualized documents that are password-protected (example: personalized patient invoices)
• Preexisting social media posts (example: posting before the April 24, 2026 deadline)

For details on the exceptions, see the ADA.gov Fact Sheet.

First Steps Toward Complying 

• Includes 10 Action Steps to take to comply with the rule. While complying with the rule is mandatory, the action steps in this document are not mandatory.
• The contents of this resource do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. This resource is intended only to provide clarity.
• This easy-to read resource outlines 10 steps, many of them already in progress at UCSF and other we can map to different roles. Please spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with this resource and share widely with managers, communication directors, and anyone who contracts with vendors. 

Official Federal Register rule

• “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities.” (PDF)
• This 289-page PDF is the long-form ruling from ADA.gov.

Webinar recording

Learn more in this recording from July 31, 2024 produced in cooperation with Kanopi Studios Making Your Websites Accessible: An overview of the new federal ADA guidelines recording

If you get an accessibility complaint refer to the UCSF Accessibility Resources page.

Brush up on WCAG 2.1

• What’s New in WCAG 2.1?
• Download the WCAG 2.1 Map (PDF)
• IT Digital Accessibility Training