The ADA in 2026
The Department of Justice issued revisions to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that take effect on April 24, 2026. These revisions apply to Title II, which covers public agencies like the California State University system.
The ADA has required web and digital content to be accessible for many years now, but did not define what “accessible” meant. The revision incorporates the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) at version 2.1 Level AA. You can think of WCAG as a checklist of specific, measurable accessibility requirements.
The revision to the ADA applies to all web and mobile content from CSUN: public web pages but also password-protected web applications like Canvas and the portal, and the content they contain: videos, files, and more. This revision does specify four file types:
- PDFs
- Word processor files such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or Pages
- Presentations such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Keynote
- Spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers
Files created before April 24, 2026, but “currently used to apply for, gain access to, or participate in the [University’s] services, programs, or activities” fall under the revision and must be fully accessible.
The revision covers social media posts but not social media platforms. Our responsibility is to make official CSUN media posts as accessible as the hosting platform allows.
Accessibility is a shared campus responsibility. The University has staff and resources to assist you, but with thousands of people throughout the University creating and maintaining content that falls under the ADA revision, almost all faculty and staff contribute to the accessibility of University web and/or mobile content.
Make accessibility part of your routine. Whatever steps you take to check new content or edits to existing content, add an accessibility check to the list. Use built-in headings and other formatting. Enter image descriptions (“alt text”) as you add images to your content. Caption videos as part of the video production process. Give links plain language labels.
How do you know if your content is accessible? The University offers a number of tools to check content. Two of the most important are:
- Course Accessibility Report in Canvas
- Web Accessibility Platform (PopeTech)
There are some limited exceptions. Archived content that meets all four of the following definitions is excluded:
- Was created before [April 24, 2026];
- Is retained exclusively for reference, research, or recordkeeping;
- Is not altered or updated after the date of archiving; and
- Is organized and stored in a dedicated area or areas clearly identified as being archived.
If you believe an exception might apply to your content, make an appointment with the Universal Design Center to explore this possibility: Make An Appointment via Bookings.