State and local governments, including city councils, county boards, and public agencies, face an approaching ADA Title II compliance deadline requiring all web and mobile content, including videos, to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards. Communities with populations over 50,000 must comply by April 24, 2026, while those under 50,000 have until April 24, 2027. This requirement fundamentally changes how government entities publish meeting videos, public announcements, educational content, and other multimedia materials.
This comprehensive guide explains the video accessibility requirements for state and local governments, the compliance deadlines based on population size, and practical solutions for meeting these mandates through transcription, closed captioning, live captioning, and audio description services.