HHS Gives More Time for Disability-Friendly Websites and Apps
Published Date: 5/11/2026
Rule
Summary
The Department of Health and Human Services is giving organizations more time to make their websites and apps accessible to people with disabilities. Big groups with 15 or more employees now have until May 11, 2027, and smaller groups until May 10, 2028, to meet these rules. This extension helps everyone get ready without rushing and keeps the focus on fairness and inclusion.
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Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
One-Year Compliance Deadline Extension
If your organization receives Department of Health and Human Services financial assistance, the deadline to make your websites and mobile apps meet the WCAG 2.1 Level AA success criteria is extended by one year. Recipients with 15 or more employees must comply by May 11, 2027 (previously May 11, 2026), and recipients with fewer than 15 employees must comply by May 10, 2028 (previously May 10, 2027).
Delay in Expanded Access for Disabled People
If you are a person with a disability, improvements in access to websites and mobile apps from HHS-funded recipients will be delayed. The rule pushes the large-recipient deadline to May 11, 2027 and the small-recipient deadline to May 10, 2028, which postpones when many recipients must conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
Other Section 504 Duties Still Required
Even though the compliance dates for WCAG 2.1 are extended, recipients remain required to meet other Section 504 obligations such as making reasonable modifications to avoid disability discrimination (see 45 CFR 84.68(b)(7)). For example, a college must still make needed course materials accessible for a student with a disability unless doing so is an undue burden or a fundamental alteration.
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Key Dates
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