*DOJ to Extend ADA Deadline*

Posted on April 17, 2026

Breaking News

Today the US Department of Justice (DOJ) took the first step toward an apparent announcement this Monday that they will be extending the current ADA compliance deadline of April 24, 2026 by a full year to April 24, 2027. The current deadline for websites of municipalities with fewer than 50,000 is April 24, 2027, and would also be moved back a year to April 24, 2028.

The DOJ is responsible for enforcement of the ADA, and while they have not made a formal announcement, they have submitted what is called an “unpublished” document to the Federal Register.

The DOJ document is dated April 20, 2026, and it is available for the public to download, with links to share by email.

The document lists April 20th as the effective date, and mentions that for 60 days following the effective date, comments may be submitted via several methods including the Federal eRulemaking Website.

What this Means for Agencies

This news might seem like an opportunity to let your guard down and take a break from accessibility efforts, but what it really provides is a more realistic full-compliance goal for many Delaware agencies. It will also provide fewer excuses for non-compliance at that new deadline.

An important reminder: The DOJ deadline is the government’s enforcement arm. However, any citizen at any time currently has the legal option to file a lawsuit if they believe a government website is not providing them full access to public resources.

The very best advice we can give has not changed with this news:

In the coming days we will be investigating ways to use the calendar to help budget your accessibility resources.

We will bring you more information as we learn about it!