The government video accessibility compliance guide.

ADA Title II prohibits discrimination by state and local governments. The April 2024 final rule specifically requires WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance for all digital content, including video. That means captions, audio descriptions and accessible delivery methods are now legally mandated.

ADA Title II applies to state and local governments and their agencies, including cities, counties, school districts, public transit authorities, and public utilities. Governments with a population of 50,000 or more must comply by April 26, 2027. Governments under 50,000, and all special district governments regardless of size (such as water, park, or transit districts), have until April 26, 2028. Organizations that receive federal funding may have similar obligations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which has its own rules and deadlines.

The DOJ requires "accurate" captions without specifying a percentage. Industry best practice is 99 percent or higher accuracy for recorded content, and around 99 percent is considered acceptable for live content. Auto-generated captions without human review rarely meet these standards.

The rule has an exception for archived web content. It applies only when all three of these are true: the content was created before your compliance date (or reproduces paper documents or the contents of physical media created before that date); it is kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping; and it is stored in an area clearly marked as an archive and is not changed after being archived. Content that doesn't meet all three, including older meeting videos still posted in active areas of your site, must be made accessible. If someone asks for archived content in an accessible format, you still need to provide it. Prioritize captioning for high-traffic and frequently requested recordings.

Yes. Besides archived content, the rule has limited exceptions for certain older electronic documents (such as PDFs) posted before the compliance date, some third-party content, individualized password-protected documents, and social media posts made before the compliance date. Each exception has conditions, so review the DOJ rule or consult counsel before relying on one. Read the DOJ fact sheet

Audio descriptions narrate visual information (slides, graphics, speaker gestures) for blind viewers. WCAG 1.2.5 requires them for Level AA compliance when visual content is essential to understanding. The requirement covers prerecorded video; live video isn't included at Level AA.

Non-compliance can result in DOJ enforcement actions, private ADA lawsuits, loss of federal funding and reputational damage. "Surf-by" plaintiffs actively scan government websites for accessibility violations.

Yes, when properly implemented. Modern AI captioning can approach 99 percent accuracy for live content under good audio conditions; accuracy depends on audio quality, speakers, and vocabulary. It reaches 99 percent or higher for recorded content with editing tools. The key is having quality-control mechanisms and maintaining audit trails of accessibility actions.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act applies to federal agencies; ADA Title II applies to state and local government. Both point to WCAG as the technical standard: the Section 508 ICT rule incorporates WCAG 2.0 Level AA, and the DOJ's Title II rule requires WCAG 2.1 Level AA. WCAG 2.1 contains everything in 2.0, so conforming to 2.1 AA satisfies both. Cablecast Internet Channels conform to WCAG 2.1 AA, and captions, audio descriptions and translated tracks are part of publishing rather than a separate project, so a federal agency and a city run the same workflow.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act requires agencies receiving federal funds to provide meaningful access for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) individuals. While not strictly WCAG, providing multilingual captions or translations supports this requirement and serves your full community.