State and local government
Does the ADA require audio description?
For state and local government, yes — by way of WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which includes audio description for prerecorded video. The dates moved in April 2026 and a great many pages still print the old ones.
The rule, and what it adopts
28 CFR 35.200 adopts WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard for web content and mobile apps under Title II. Level AA includes SC 1.2.5, Audio Description (Prerecorded) — so a prerecorded video published by a covered entity needs a description track.
The dates, after the April 2026 extension
| Entity | Was | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Total population 50,000 or more | 24 April 2026 | 26 April 2027 |
| Under 50,000, or any special district government | 26 April 2027 | 26 April 2028 |
Extended by an Interim Final Rule effective 20 April 2026 — Federal Register document 2026-07663.
Two things worth knowing before you plan around it
Title II covers government only. State and local entities, public universities, libraries, school districts. It does not reach a private business, a distributor or a marketplace — if somebody has told you otherwise, they are selling to the wrong rule.
The obligation does not start on the date. The Department has said plainly that covered entities have an ongoing duty to make their programs accessible under existing Title II obligations, whatever the compliance date says.
The five exceptions, stated honestly
The rule carves out archived web content, preexisting conventional electronic documents, third-party content not posted by the entity, individualized password-protected documents, and preexisting social media posts.
The archive exception is narrower than it sounds. It covers material kept only for reference and not changed since it was archived. Anything still in active use, or published from here on, is in scope — which is most of what a public body actually has on its website.
Last checked 10 September 2026. These rules move: the ADA Title II deadline was extended in April 2026 and many pages still print the old date. If you are reading this long after the date above, check the citations rather than trusting the summary.