Digital accessibility compliance: Federal deadline update and UGA expectations

As a community, the University of Georgia has been working diligently to meet federal guidelines for digital content accessibility. On April 20, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued an extension to its final rule concerning ADA Title II digital accessibility (“Final Rule”), providing a new compliance deadline of April 24, 2027. Please note that the extension applies only to the DOJ Final Rule. The University is also subject to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) digital accessibility requirements that are essentially identical to the Final Rule. The HHS has issued its own rule, and the compliance deadline of May 11, 2026, has not been extended as of today.

As a result, we want to emphasize that our goals remain unchanged. Departments, colleges, and administrative units should continue to work expeditiously to ensure that the University’s digital content complies with applicable federal, state, and BOR requirements by the May 11 deadline. As you continue your work, we remind you that the federal rules apply to the University’s digital content in whatever manner that content is distributed, whether centrally hosted (e.g., eLC) or placed elsewhere. The additional two weeks before the HHS deadline should provide some compliance flexibility as we enter final exams and the end of the semester.

We encourage you to build upon the momentum generated over the last year through the Accessibility Steering Committee, the Accessibility Working Group, and the Digital Accessibility Services team in EITS. The compliance effort is substantial, but it is impactful and lasting. Thank you for the work you and your teams have already contributed, and we encourage you to continue that process in the months ahead. Please direct questions to your digital accessibility liaisons, the EITS Digital Accessibility Services team, or to the Equal Opportunity Office.