ADA Title II and the Jadu Platform

Introduction: ADA Title II final rule 

On 24 April 2024, the Federal Register published the Department of Justice’s final rule updating its regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The rule sets clear requirements for state and local governments to make their websites and mobile applications accessible to people with disabilities. When digital content is not accessible, people may be unable to access information or complete key tasks, including accessing public services. 

To address this, the rule introduces a consistent technical standard. State and local government websites and mobile applications must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA, ensuring a baseline level of accessibility across digital services. 

A full summary of the requirements is available in the ADA fact sheet. 

Key ADA Title II requirements 

• The rule requires that state and local governments websites, web content and mobile applications must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. 

• There are some exceptions for archived web content, older preexisting electronic documents, 3rd party content, password-protected documents, and preexisting social media posts. 

Key dates 

The compliance date for the new rule depends on the entity size: 

• State or local governments with 50,000 people or more must follow the new rules by April 26, 2027.  

• State or local governments with fewer than 50,000 people and all special district governments must follow the rules by April 26, 2028.  

Note: on April 20, 2026 the DOJ published an interim final rule, extending the deadline by a year. Originally, the deadlines were April 24, 2026 for entities serving larger populations and April 26, 2027 for those serving smaller populations and special district governments.

Accessibility in the Jadu platform 

At Jadu, we are deeply committed to accessibility. It’s built into our full development lifecycle, including discovery, design, development, testing and launch.  

The platform is regularly reviewed through manual accessibility testing, including testing with assistive technologies, and audits against the latest version of WCAG (2.2). This approach supports organizations working towards compliance with ADA Title II, while aligning with more recent accessibility guidance. 

Jadu products are designed with accessible design principles in mind. We prioritize accessibility not only as a legal or compliance requirement but also as a fundamental part of user experience and product design. 

Jadu is focused on exceeding WCAG 2.2 AA 

While ADA Title II requires WCAG 2.1 Level AA, Jadu products are developed and tested against the newer WCAG 2.2 Level AA. In some areas, additional AAA success criteria and best practices beyond WCAG are also included. 

This helps organizations meet current requirements while preparing for future updates to accessibility standards. 

Frontend themes and templates 

Jadu themes and templates are built and tested to WCAG 2.2 AA. Our latest theme, Origin, is built on the W3C Design System meeting WCAG 2.2 AA with some AAA enhancements. 

Many organizations that use Jadu rank highly in independent accessibility indexes, such as the Silktide Index. 

As Jadu is widely used by local government organizations, sites built on the platform are often subject to independent accessibility testing as part of broader public sector monitoring. 

Built-in accessibility tools 

Jadu products include many tools that allow for the creation of accessible content.  

Form builder 

Forms present a range of accessibility challenges and must meet multiple WCAG requirements. The Jadu form builder supports the creation of WCAG-conformant forms, handling many requirements by default while allowing configuration of: 

• Descriptive input labels and help text, supporting WCAG 2.4.6 Headings and Labels (AA) and 3.2.2 Labels or Instructions (A) 

• Input purpose for fields collecting personal data, supporting WCAG 1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (AA) 

• Clear error messages and validation, supporting 3.3.1 Error Identification (A)  

Content editor 

The built-in content editor supports the creation of accessible page content and outputs semantic HTML. It allows users to: 

• Structure content using headings, lists, and links 

• Add alternative text for images 

• Create accessible tables 

Built-in accessibility checker 

A preview mode is available for key page types, including document and home pages. This includes an accessibility checker that scans for over 80 common content-related issues, such as: 

• Skipped heading levels 

• Ambiguous or non-descriptive link text 

• Links that open new tabs without warning 

• Tables without designated headers 

Jadu Assist 

Our free AI-enhanced browser extension, Jadu Assist, includes additional tools and features to complement accessible content creation and catch issues while creating content in the editor, such as: 

• Content assist - uses AI to enhance content in the editor with options to simplify language, reduce reading level/age, and more. 

• Accessibility assist - identifies many content-related accessibility issues such as linked raw URLS, ambiguous link text, poor link text, heading hierarchy issues, and more. 

Jadu Assist is intended to support content authors during the creation process and complement the platform’s built-in accessibility features. 

FAQs 

What is the ADA Title II final rule? 

The U.S. Department of Justice issued a final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requiring state and local government websites and mobile applications to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards. 

When do state and local governments need to comply? 

• April 26, 2027 - State and local governments serving 50,000 or more people 

• April 26, 2028 - Governments serving fewer than 50,000 people and all special district governments 

Does the rule apply to all digital content? 

The rule applies to websites, web content and mobile applications, with limited exceptions such as archived content, certain older documents, third‑party content, password‑protected materials and pre‑existing social media posts. 

How does Jadu support ADA Title II compliance? 

Accessibility is built into Jadu’s full product lifecycle, including design, development, testing and launch. Jadu platforms are regularly tested using manual audits and assistive technologies to support compliance with ADA Title II requirements. 

What accessibility standards does Jadu follow? 

Although ADA Title II requires WCAG 2.1 Level AA, Jadu products are developed and tested against WCAG 2.2 Level AA, with select AAA success criteria and best practices included. 

Are Jadu themes and templates accessible? 

Yes. Jadu themes and templates, including the latest Origin theme, are built on the W3C Design System and tested to WCAG 2.2 Level AA. 

What built‑in accessibility tools does Jadu provide? 

Jadu includes tools to support accessible content creation, including: 

• Form Builder for WCAG‑conformant forms with accessible labels and error handling 

• Content Editor that outputs semantic HTML and supports headings, alt text, and accessible tables 

• Accessibility Checker that identifies common content-related accessibility issues during page preview 

What is Jadu Assist? 

Jadu Assist is a free, AI-powered browser extension that helps content authors identify accessibility issues and improve content clarity and readability, supporting inclusive digital experiences and ADA compliance.