ADA Content Exceptions

This website seeks to archive electronic documents published prior to April 24, 2026 and utilize the ADA content exception for preexisting conventional electronic documents.

1. Archived web content

State and local governments’ websites often include a lot of content that is not currently used. This information may be outdated, not needed, or repeated somewhere else. Sometimes, this information is archived on the website.

• Web content that meets all four of the following points would not need to meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA:

  1. The content was created before the date the state or local government must comply with this rule, or reproduces paper documents or the contents of other physical media (audiotapes, film negatives, and CD-ROMs for example) that were created before the government must comply with this rule, AND
  2. The content is kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping, AND
  3. The content is kept in a special area for archived content, AND
  4. The content has not been changed since it was archived.

2. Preexisting conventional electronic documents

Some state and local governments have a lot of old documents, like PDFs, on their website. It can sometimes be hard to make these documents meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA.

• Documents that meet both of the following points usually do not need to meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA, except in some situations:

  1. The documents are word processing, presentation, PDF, or spreadsheet files; AND
  2. They were available on the state or local government’s website or mobile app before the date the state or local government must comply with this rule.

3. Content posted by a third party where the third party is not posting due to contractual, licensing, or other arrangements with a public entity

Third parties sometimes post content on state and local governments’ websites or mobile apps. Third parties are members of the public or others who are not controlled by or acting for state or local governments. The state or local government may not be able to change the content third parties post.

• Content that is posted by third parties on a state or local government’s website or mobile app would not need to meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA.

4. Individualized documents that are password-protected

State and local governments sometimes use password-protected websites to share documents that are for specific individuals, like a water or tax bill. It might be hard to make all of these documents accessible right away for everyone, and there might not be a person with a disability who needs access to these documents.

• Documents that meet all three of the following points do not need to meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA:

  1. The documents are word processing, presentation, PDF, or spreadsheet files, AND
  2. The documents are about a specific person, property, or account, AND
  3. The documents are password-protected or otherwise secured.

5. Preexisting social media posts

For many state and local governments, making all of their past social media posts accessible may be impossible. There also may be very little use to making these old posts accessible because they were usually intended to provide updates about things happening at the time they were posted in the past.

For these reasons, social media posts made by a state or local government before the date the state or local government must comply with this rule do not need to meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA.

Source: Fact Sheet: New Rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Governments (ada.gov)