Two developments in the disability space deserve your attention, and they cut in different directions.
First, the deadline that moved. On April 20, 2026, the Department of Justice published an interim final rule extending state and local governments’ compliance deadlines for its 2024 web accessibility rule under ADA Title II from April 2026 to April 2027 or 2028, depending on population size. Because population is calculated at the state level, nearly all public universities fall under the April 26, 2027 deadline to bring websites, mobile applications, and digital course materials into conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Do not read the extension as a reprieve. The interim final rule delays only the WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance dates; it does not suspend Title II’s underlying nondiscrimination and effective-communication obligations, and private plaintiffs and advocacy organizations can still sue during the extension period.
Second, the litigation. Texas v. Kennedy, formerly Texas v. Becerra, is over, and how it ended matters. On September 23, 2026, the court entered a final judgment that the remaining states and the Department of Justice, acting for HHS, asked for together. It vacates the community integration provisions of the 2024 HHS Section 504 rule nationwide, including the definition of the most integrated setting. The rest of the 2024 rule stands, and the states' other claims were dismissed. Section 504 itself did not change, and neither did the ADA or Olmstead. The fight over integration has moved from the statute to the regulations and to how the agencies read them.
The takeaway: use the extended runway to run a real digital accessibility audit now, procurement contracts included, and keep your 504 obligations exactly where they have always been.
Trust, operationalized.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Justice, ADA.gov, “State and Local Governments: First Steps Toward Complying with the ADA Title II Web and Mobile Application Accessibility Rule,” updated April 2026.
- Jackson Lewis P.C., “DOJ Extends Public Entities’ Compliance Deadline for ADA-Related Website Accessibility, But HHS’s May 2026 Deadline Still Looms,” April 22, 2026.
- Duane Morris LLP, “DOJ Extends ADA Title II Digital Accessibility Deadlines by One Year,” April 23, 2026.
- UPCEA, “DOJ Extends Accessibility Deadline to April 2027, Policy Matters,” April 2026.
- Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), “Texas v. Kennedy (formerly Texas v. Becerra),” updated September 2026.
- National Health Law Program, “Texas and Eight Other States Renew Attack on Section 504,” January 28, 2026.
- Great Plains ADA Center, “Texas v. Kennedy: Update.”
- American Council of the Blind, “Final Ruling Issued in Texas v. Kennedy,” September 24, 2026.