Advocates Name Key US Accessibility Bills

The push for new legislation comes as the Department of Justice (DOJ) establishes clearer standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Public colleges and universities with populations of 50,000 or more now have a firm deadline of April 24, 2026, to make their web content and mobile apps compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA. Smaller institutions have until April 26, 2027. The Website and Software Applications Accessibility Act aims to resolve long-standing ambiguity by codifying digital accessibility standards into law. Introduced by Senator Tammy Duckworth and Representative John Sarbanes, the bill would require the DOJ and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to create binding regulations for websites and applications, extending the ADA's reach explicitly to digital-only entities. This would create a consistent legal standard, a stark contrast to the current landscape of conflicting court interpretations. The Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVTA) is an update to the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) of 2010. The original CVAA mandated accessibility for advanced communication services and video programming but has not kept pace with technology. The CVTA would expand requirements for closed captions and audio descriptions to online streaming platforms and require video conferencing services to be compatible with assistive technologies. The Medical Devices Non-Visual Accessibility Act targets the growing inaccessibility of home-use medical equipment. As devices like glucose monitors and blood pressure readers increasingly rely on digital interfaces, many have become unusable for blind and low-vision individuals. This bill would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish and enforce non-visual accessibility standards for new Class II and Class III medical devices.