On April 20, 2026, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), as we feared, published an interim final rule (IFR) in the Federal Register extending the compliance dates for the recently adopted web accessibility rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We first learned of this on April 17, when a pre-publication version of the IFR was posted on the DOJ’s website.
The now-delayed rule, originally finalized in 2024, requires state and local governments to ensure that their websites, mobile applications, and other digital services are accessible to people with disabilities, including blind and deafblind users who rely on screen readers and other nonvisual access technology.
The DOJ had been signaling this move for at least the last few months, but we had hoped to forestall it. Prior to the issuance of the Interim Final Rule, the Federation submitted a detailed letter to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi urging the Department not to weaken or postpone the requirements.
That letter explained that blind people had already waited decades for enforceable, uniform digital accessibility standards and that further delay would undermine both the intent and the effectiveness of the ADA. Prior to that, we had sent a similar but shorter letter to the director of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), where the Interim Final Rule, at that time not public, was under review. So, we were disappointed, but not surprised, when the bad news came.
The April 2026 IFR delays the compliance deadlines—one for cities and counties with populations of 50,000 or more and a later one for those with fewer than 50,000 people—that were intended to ensure timely access to critical government services online. The first deadline was originally April 24, 2026, with the other roughly a year later, but now they have both been moved back a year, so that the smaller entities will not need to comply until the spring of 2028. There is also language in the IFR that ominously signals that further rulemaking may be forthcoming. Given that the Interim Final Rule already delays compliance, we expect nothing good to come from further efforts to substantively alter the 2024 regulations.
The National Federation of the Blind responded swiftly, releasing a video message underscoring the real-world consequences for blind Americans on the day that the unpublished version of the IFR came out and following up with an official press statement condemning the delay. Here is a transcript of the video released on Friday, April 17:
I’m Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, and I’m here—in our empty computer lab—to talk about our outrage. The United States Department of Justice, Office of Civil Rights, has released an interim final rule related to ADA Title II web accessibility and digital regulations.
Why am I here in this empty room? Because the government has said it’s okay for blind people to continue to wait to get equal access to state government, to education, and to other forms of digital access through Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
But wait! We have already been waiting.
We’ve been waiting for two years since this rule was announced. Two years. So we’ve been waiting—already. Outrageous that we should have to wait longer.
But it gets even worse. Because it hasn’t just been two years. The original advance rulemaking was sixteen years ago—in 2010. Blind people have been waiting to get access to paying our taxes, to education, to so many government services. Waiting.
But it’s been even longer than that. The Americans with Disabilities Act—this promise—was given to Americans with disabilities in 1990. 1990!
America is celebrating this year our 250th anniversary—the promise that this nation makes for equal access. And we’ve been guaranteed this promise not just in the Constitution, but through the Americans with Disabilities Act, starting in 1990. Outrageous that the Department of Justice wants us to wait even longer.
The National Federation of the Blind is prepared to continue to advocate—and to continue to push forward—to make sure that blind people no longer have to wait for the doors to be opened for us to have equal access to the digital services provided by our state and local governments.
And here is the statement issued on April 20, the day of official publication of the IFR:
National Federation of the Blind Condemns DOJ Interim Final Rule Signaling Delay of ADA Title II Digital Accessibility Enforcement
BALTIMORE, MD (April 20, 2026) — The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) today expresses outrage in response to news that the U.S. Department of Justice has issued an interim final rule regarding ADA Title II website and mobile application accessibility that delays implementation and accountability for state and local government digital accessibility.
The Title II website accessibility regulation, issued on April 24, 2024, was scheduled to take effect on April 24, 2026. We urged the Department to protect the rule, and we opposed any attempt to delay, rescind, or otherwise undermine it. Accessible digital services are essential for blind people to access education, pay taxes, obtain public benefits, and participate fully in civic life.
Title II has required since 1990 that state and local governments ensure communications with blind and other disabled people are “as effective as” communications with nondisabled individuals, and the Department of Justice has long made clear that this includes web and mobile communications.
The 2024 regulation provides the clarity public entities have requested by setting a recognized technical standard, allowing equivalent facilitation, and including targeted exceptions and phased-in timelines. It was announced on April 20 through the interim final rule published in the Federal Register that the Department is delaying implementation of the rule, without going through advanced notice to the public and opportunities for public comment.
"After more than a decade of advocacy for clarity on website accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we finally have a Title II regulation that provides the roadmap public entities need to make their digital services accessible to blind people in the United States. The effort to weaken and delay this rule is a betrayal of the promise America made when it enacted the ADA, which guaranteed our rights to participate fully in the mainstream of American life," stated Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind.
"The organized blind movement will not stand idle while the Department of Justice undermines the very regulation we fought so hard to achieve. Blind Americans deserve timely access to government services."
Delaying digital accessibility has real consequences for blind people at every stage of life—from students and working professionals to seniors accessing public services. An immediate concern is the impact on blind students who are among those most directly harmed when public entities rely on inaccessible websites and mobile apps for course materials, assignments, and student portals.
When information is not accessible, blind students are excluded from the same curricula as their peers, face delays in completing coursework and degrees, and encounter unnecessary barriers to entering the workforce and participating fully in society.
What Comes Next
The Federation is calling on our members and allies to make their voices heard. The interim final rule is open for public comment, even though it is already in effect, and the deadline for comments is June 22, 2026. As President Riccobono has said, we must flood the DOJ with our vehement opposition. Individuals who have experienced barriers to accessing government websites or mobile applications are encouraged to submit comments describing those experiences in concrete terms.
Comments are particularly important from:
- Students who cannot independently access online coursework or educational platforms
- Parents of blind students who encounter barriers to school communication systems
- Individuals attempting to pay taxes, apply for services, or complete other civic tasks online
- Anyone else who has faced delays, denial of service, or loss of independence due to inaccessible digital systems
The Federation urges commenters to be specific about the harm caused by inaccessibility and the urgency of timely compliance. Personal experiences carry significant weight in demonstrating that delays are not abstract administrative decisions—they have immediate and tangible consequences for real people.
The ADA’s promise is clear: blind people are entitled to full and equal participation in all aspects of society. In today’s world, that participation depends on digital access. Extending compliance deadlines does not move the nation closer to equality; it moves us further away.
The National Federation of the Blind will continue to advocate for strong, enforceable accessibility standards and to oppose any action that delays or weakens them. Blind and deafblind people have waited long enough!