DOJ extends ADA Title II digital accessibility deadlines—what instructors should do now

Purdue University remains committed to ensuring that instructional materials and digital content are accessible to every student. On April 20, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)  extended the compliance deadlines by one year for the ADA Title II rule requiring state and local governments to make their websites and mobile apps accessible under WCAG 2.1 AA. Large covered public entities (like Purdue) must comply by the updated deadline of April 26, 2027. 

The Department determined that many state and local governments – including higher education institutions and school districts – lack the staffing, resources, or technological capacity to meet the original deadline (April 24, 2026) without risking rushed or low-quality implementation and increased litigation exposure. 

By extending the deadline to April 26, 2027, the DOJ aims to give institutions sufficient time to plan and implement accessibility measures thoughtfully and sustainably, ultimately supporting better access for people with disabilities rather than compliance driven primarily by legal risk. 

What this means for instructors 

  • Continue updating course content. Even with the DOJ extension, accessibility work takes time, especially for documents, videos, images, and specialized content like math. 
  • Prioritize high-use materials. Start with what students must use this term (syllabus, core readings, key slides, major assignments, recurring media). 
  • Use existing supports. Keep using the ADA Readiness resources, checklists, training, and support services already available to help you make steady progress. 
  • The remediation tool is coming. A centrally supported remediation tool will be provided to assist with identifying and addressing common accessibility issues; more details and timelines will be shared as soon as the tool is ready for use. 

Bottom line: The federal compliance timeline has moved, but the law will remain the same: faculty are required to provide accessible instructional materials to support student success and inclusive learning. Please continue to follow ADA Title II guidelines in creating new materials, work to remediate course content where needed, and watch for updates as Purdue rolls out the remediation tool and further guidance leading up to April 26, 2027.

For further questions and support at your campus, contact: 

Purdue West Lafayette and Indianapolis: Innovative Learning, InnovativeLearningTeam@purdue.edu 

Purdue Fort Wayne:  

  • For questions about this Purdue system project: Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, celt@pfw.edu 
  • For compliance questions about the regulation: contact the Office for Civil Rights Compliance at civilrights@pfw.edu  

Purdue Northwest:  

  • For questions: Center for the Faculty Excellence, cfe@pnw.edu  

Purdue Global: Center for Teaching and Learning, askctl@purdueglobal.edu