We all know there are new accessibility requirements coming down the line under the ADA, with WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard. Earlier this year, there was a collective sigh of relief when the deadline was pushed back. As much as we all want to improve accessibility, libraries have limited resources, and meeting all of these requirements can feel a bit daunting. But even with this extension, the clock is still ticking: for many libraries, the new deadline is April 2027 — and that’s only about seven months away.
So what is this rule, exactly, and what does it mean for your library?
What actually changed
In April 2024, the US Department of Justice finalized a new rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act requiring state and local governments to make their web content and mobile applications accessible to people with disabilities. The rule establishes WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard. (See ALA Guidance.) The DOJ later extended the compliance dates by one year, giving public entities more time to prepare.
But here’s the other part that complicates this effort: the rule isn’t limited to new content. Much of the web content and mobile apps a public entity provides or makes available will need to meet the standard, including content provided through vendors or other contractual arrangements.
Important exceptions include certain preexisting PDFs and other conventional electronic documents, archived content, and preexisting social media posts. Understanding those exceptions is an important part of deciding what actually needs to be fixed — and what can be prioritized later.
What this means for your library
This is more than an IT project. It touches marketing, communications, and every department that publishes content. The practical scope includes:
- Your website and any pages you control
- Mobile apps and their content
- Digital documents you publish — PDFs, forms, guides
- The readability and contrast of your visual design
- New social media content
- How your content is structured — headings, hierarchy, alt text, navigation
- Vendor-provided platforms and tools that are part of how your library delivers services
And “we don’t control that platform” isn’t necessarily an exemption. The rule generally applies to web content and mobile apps a public entity provides through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements. That can include vendor-hosted calendars, catalogs, forms, payment systems, reservation tools, and other digital services.
And don’t forget social media. Libraries increasingly put important information directly into graphics — event announcements, program details, closures, service changes, book recommendations, and more. If important information exists only in an image, someone using a screen reader may not be able to access it.
The DOJ rule specifically exempts preexisting social media posts, so libraries generally won’t need to go back and remediate every Facebook or Instagram post they’ve ever published. But the DOJ’s guidance indicates that social media posts published after the applicable compliance date generally do need to meet the WCAG 2.1 Level AA standard. That means accessibility needs to become part of the communications workflow going forward — from writing the caption to creating the graphic to adding meaningful alternative text when appropriate.
The biggest pain points we hear from library teams are consistent: an enormous backlog of legacy documents, vendor platforms you don’t fully control, limited staff capacity, and the sense that accessibility is one more thing on an already full plate.
But it’s also an opportunity. An accessible website serves more of your community, improves usability for everyone, and can make your communications clearer and more effective. Done well, it’s not just about compliance — it’s better service.
How we can help
Here’s what we hear from library teams all the time: “We know this matters, but we’re short-staffed, we’re busy, and we don’t know where to start.” That’s exactly where we come in.
At Cordelia Anderson Consulting, we specialize in the marketing, communications, branding, and design side of accessibility. We help libraries translate accessibility requirements into practical changes to the way they communicate — from their visual identity and website design to social media, marketing materials, and everyday content.
We can help with:
- Accessible brands and visual design — including colour palettes, fonts, contrast, templates, and other design choices that support readability and accessibility
- Website and brand application guidance — helping your team or web vendor translate accessibility requirements into practical standards for layout, content hierarchy, navigation, imagery, and design
- Social media accessibility — helping staff build practical workflows for accessible graphics, alt text, captions, and other digital communications
- Accessible marketing and communications — reviewing the ways your library creates and publishes content and identifying changes that can make everyday communications more accessible
- Strategy and guidance — helping you assess where you are, identify priorities, and develop a phased approach that fits your staff, budget, and timeline
A few examples of how we’ve helped past clients:
- A Strategic Plan design built to be fully compatible with screen readers, so every resident can navigate the library’s digital presence.
- Recent brand refresh projects, where we selected new colors and fonts that meet contrast and readability requirements — proving accessibility and strong brand design can go hand in hand.
- Brand application guidance for library websites, covering layout, content hierarchy, visual design, fonts, and accessibility considerations, so your team has clear, usable standards to follow.
For a deeper look at how these projects came together — the challenges, the process, and the results — check out the case studies on our branding services page.
One thing worth knowing about how we work: we provide the guidance that makes the build successful. Whether you’re planning a full redesign or a simple reskinning of your existing site, we give you the strategy, standards, and specifications your team or web vendor needs to get it right. You keep control of the work; we make sure it’s built on a solid foundation.
We start where you are — with an audit of what’s working and what isn’t — and build a phased approach that prioritizes the highest-impact fixes first. No jargon, no overwhelm, just a clear path toward compliance and better service.
The deadline may still feel far away, but accessibility work takes time — especially when it involves vendor platforms, legacy content, staff training, and changing everyday communications practices. Libraries that start now will have more time to prioritize, address the highest-impact issues, and work through the changes without a last-minute scramble.
Contact us to learn more about how we can help your library make accessibility part of its marketing, communications, branding, and digital strategy — and serve your community better along the way.
