GIC Accessibility Newsletter: Issue #9

Posted on April 2, 2026

ADA Digital Accessibility Deadline This Month

One thing about time: It will sneak up on you. Here we are, less than a month from the ADA digital accessibility deadline.

So what happens on that deadline day? Not necessarily anything. But that’s the date by which online material will be expected to be in compliance if called upon by a US Department of Justice inquiry. That’s who would investigate and enforce any violations. Here’s a look we took at the possible repercussions of non-compliance.

But what do accessibility experts think will happen? Without much information coming from the DOJ, they aren’t sure either, and speculation is afoot.

At a session hosted during the National Association of Secretaries of State’s Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. earlier this year, NASS Executive Director Leslie Reynolds said she thought the DOJ will have a specific focus when it comes to enforcement, at least initially. Reynolds added that the DOJ had been invited to discuss enforcement during that session, but said they “weren’t ready to come and talk.”

“They’re going to focus on the civil rights aspect of this, so they’re going to focus on schools, libraries, transit agencies, election offices and health and human service agencies, I think, are going to be the ones that they focus on first,” Reynolds said. She has noted that, in the past, DOJ has come out with settlement agreements, corrective action plans and monitoring periods for similar mandates, which could follow here too.

Mike Paciello, the chief accessibility officer for AudioEye had this prediction: “It’s usually complaint driven. Yes, there will be those ambulance chasers, but I think judges are savvy to that, and as long as the municipality is responsive and demonstrates good faith efforts to be responsive and put the right things in motion, I think courts will see that.”

A reminder here that the ADA deadline for municipalities (governments serving fewer than 50,000 residents) is a year from the main deadline and not until April 24, 2027.

• Here’s a look at how some other states are doing in their quest for compliance.
• Here’s an interesting 20-minute podcast on whether states are prepared for the deadline.
• Don’t forget to check out our new GIC Accessibility page for Delaware-specific resources!

---

Upcoming Accessibility Events

April 7th, 1pm: AI in Accessibility: Separating Hype from Reality
AI is reshaping accessibility — but not every promise holds up under enterprise requirements. This session explores how leading organizations are integrating AI into audits, remediation, and testing while maintaining quality, accuracy, and accountability.

April 28th, 1pm: Scaling Accessible Content: From PDFs to Documents and Beyond
From PDFs to documents and beyond, inaccessible assets are among the most common sources of legal exposure. This tactical session explores scalable content strategies that blend automation, human expertise, and training to meet enterprise needs.

May 19th, 1pm: Enterprise Accessibility Metrics: Proving Value, Driving Change
Enterprises need more than compliance scores — they need metrics that show business impact, maturity, and momentum. This session outlines how to define KPIs, track progress, and communicate accessibility’s strategic value to leadership.

---

GIC Updates Website to Lighthouse

The GIC created the Lighthouse design system in part to address hard-coded accessibility issues involving website elements like color contrast, font size, and overall visual clarity. Now we have adopted that platform for the GIC site that hosts this newsletter.

---

Don’t forget, the GIC is here to help! Use this form to ask us any digital accessibility question.

And don’t forget to subscribe to this newsletter and the blog at the top of this page!