On April 8, 2024, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a federal rule to ensure web content and mobile apps are accessible for people with disabilities. The update to regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) were subsequently published on April 24th by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

The update calls for all state and local governments to verify that their web content is accessible for those with vision, hearing, cognitive, and manual dexterity disabilities. To do so will require public K-12 and higher education institutions to do a thorough inventory of their digital materials, including mobile apps and social media postings, to make sure they are in compliance.

Presently, students, staff, and parents who are deaf may be not be able to access information in web videos and other digital presentations lacking captions. Similarly, those with low vision might not be able to read websites or mobile apps that do not allow text to be resized or provide enough contrast. Likewise, people with limited manual dexterity or vision disabilities who use assistive technology can find it difficult to access sites that do not support keyboard alternatives for mouse commands. To that end, the new DOJ rule aims to make sure that no person is denied access to government services, programs, or activities because of their disability.

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