Ten fixes, in the order we’d make them.
The DOJ’s ADA Title II rule makes WCAG 2.1 Level AA the standard for state and local government websites. Every tip below is part of it.
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Give every slideshow a pause button.
WCAG 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide · Level AHomepage carousels are the most common failure we find on county and township sites. If anything moves, scrolls or blinks on its own for more than five seconds, visitors need a way to stop it. Moving content pulls attention away for people with ADHD or cognitive disabilities, and it can advance before a low-vision visitor has finished reading a slide.
Try it: this slideshow advances every five seconds. The Pause button stops it, works from the keyboard, and the slideshow starts paused for visitors who have turned on reduced motion.
The fixA visible Pause button that is reachable by keyboard and labelled for screen readers. Better still, don’t auto-advance at all, and start paused when the visitor’s device asks for reduced motion.Check it yourselfLoad your homepage and try to stop the slideshow using only the Tab and Enter keys. If you can’t, it fails. -
Autoplay video: muted, with controls.
WCAG 1.4.2 Audio Control · 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, HideSound that starts on its own talks over screen readers. Background video that loops forever is moving content like any slideshow.
The fixKeep background video muted, give it a visible pause control, and let any audio be started by the visitor.Check it yourselfOpen the page with a screen reader running. If audio plays over it for more than three seconds with no way to stop it, it fails. -
Write alt text that describes, not decorates.
WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content · Level A“IMG_4032.jpg” and “image” tell a blind resident nothing. Neither does a flyer posted as a picture with the meeting date baked into it.
The fixDescribe what the image shows and why it’s there. Mark purely decorative images with empty alt text so screen readers skip them. Put event details in real text, not only in a graphic.Check it yourselfRun the free WAVE extension and read every alt text it lists out loud. If it wouldn’t make sense over the phone, rewrite it. -
Hit 4.5:1 color contrast.
WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) · Level AALight grey text on white and white text on a photo are the usual culprits. Body text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, and large headings at least 3:1.
The fixDarken the text or the background until it passes. Put a solid or darkened panel behind any text that sits on a photo.Check it yourselfPaste your colors into the WebAIM Contrast Checker. It gives you the ratio and a pass or fail. -
Keep keyboard focus visible.
WCAG 2.4.7 Focus Visible · Level AAMany people navigate with a keyboard or switch device instead of a mouse. If the outline that shows where they are has been styled away, they’re lost on the page.
The fixNever remove the focus outline without replacing it. A thick, high-contrast outline on every link, button and form field works.Check it yourselfUnplug your mouse and press Tab through the page. You should always be able to see where you are. -
Write link text that makes sense on its own.
WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) · Level AScreen reader users often pull up a list of every link on a page. Ten links that all say “Click here” or “Read more” are useless in that list.
The fixName the destination: “2027 budget hearing agenda (PDF)” instead of “Click here.”Check it yourselfRead only the link text on the page, skipping everything around it. Each link should still tell you where it goes. -
Fix your PDFs, or turn them into web pages.
WCAG 2.1 AA applies to documents · ADA Title IIAgendas, minutes, permits and applications posted as PDFs are covered by the Title II rule. Scanned documents are pictures of text that a screen reader can’t read at all.
The fixTag and test the PDFs you keep. Rebuild fillable forms as accessible HTML. Our PDF accessibility guide walks through both.Check it yourselfUpload a form to a free PDF checker such as axes4, then try to fill it out with a screen reader. -
Label every form field and explain every error.
WCAG 1.3.1, 3.3.1 & 3.3.2 · Level APlaceholder text that disappears when you type is not a label. An error that only turns a box red doesn’t tell anyone what went wrong.
The fixGive every field a visible label tied to it in the code. Say what went wrong in words, next to the field, and move focus to the first error.Check it yourselfSubmit your contact form empty with a screen reader running. Each error should be announced and say how to fix it. -
Caption every video.
WCAG 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) · 1.2.4 Captions (Live)Recorded council meetings, press conferences and livestreams all need captions under WCAG 2.1 AA. Auto-generated captions often get names, places and numbers wrong.
The fixEdit auto-captions before publishing, or use a captioning service. Arrange live captions for livestreamed public meetings.Check it yourselfTurn the sound off and watch a video. If you can’t follow what was said, neither can a deaf resident. -
Keep headings in order: H1, H2, H3.
WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships · 2.4.6 Headings and LabelsScreen reader users jump from heading to heading the way sighted visitors skim. Headings picked for their size, or bold text used as a heading, break that map.
The fixOne H1 per page, H2s for main sections and H3s beneath them. Change the look with styling, not by skipping a level.Check it yourselfThe WAVE extension’s Structure tab lists every heading in order. It should read like a table of contents.
The clock is running on every one of these.
After the April 2026 interim final rule, the DOJ extended the ADA Title II web deadlines. The requirements stayed the same.
Read the compliance guide →Government accessibility, answered.
What is WCAG 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide?
It is a Level A success criterion in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Any content that moves, blinks or scrolls on its own for more than five seconds and sits alongside other content, such as a homepage slideshow or news ticker, must give visitors a way to pause, stop or hide it. Auto-updating content like a live feed needs the same control.
Does a slideshow without a pause button violate ADA Title II?
The DOJ ADA Title II rule adopts WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard for state and local government websites, and 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide is part of that standard. A carousel that advances automatically with no pause control fails it.
Which WCAG version do government websites have to meet?
The DOJ ADA Title II rule names WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Public entities serving 50,000 or more people must comply by April 26, 2027, and smaller entities and special districts by April 26, 2028. Building to WCAG 2.2 AA covers 2.1 AA as well.
Are automated accessibility checkers enough?
No. Tools like WAVE and Lighthouse catch mechanical failures such as missing alt attributes and low contrast. They cannot tell whether alt text is meaningful, whether keyboard focus is visible in practice, or whether a screen reader user can finish a form. Every site still needs manual keyboard and screen reader testing.
Meet your web designer
I’m Crissy Devine, and I’ve been hand-coding websites in Central Ohio since 1995. I build and maintain sites for county health departments, Job & Family Services offices, transit and townships. Every one is tested with JAWS and VoiceOver, and by Tyler, my legally blind assistant, before it goes live.
Crissy, Web Chick