That seems particularly relevant now, 35 years after passage of the landmark American with Disabilities Act (ADA), designed to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities and provide them better access to everyday activities and public life.
Offering more access might seem easier in the digital age, given all the money that’s being poured into so-called “modernization” efforts — think upgraded websites, more responsive mobile apps and better access to data. But that’s not always the case.
Local and state budgets don’t always allow for needed work. Nor are all officials properly educated on relevant laws and the needs of people who might have vision or hearing impairments, or other conditions that can make accessing local and state government services more difficult.
But in a recent video interview with Government Technology, Mike Teeters, senior product manager at Tyler Technologies — one of the largest suppliers of gov tech — examined the progress that has been made since President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law in 1990. And he talked about what’s to come when an ADA update kicks in over the next two years.
“Tremendous progress has been made over the last couple of decades,” Teeters said.
That’s in part because of the ongoing push — freshly fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic — to change government operations that are largely manual, or which rely on so-called “legacy” systems, into fully digital and mobile, cloud-based systems, many of which promote newer forms of community engagement.
Compliance often comes via such work, though it’s never a guarantee. And compliance can serve as its own end, as seen in real and potential projects, including one involving disaster management in Southern California.
More compliance is all but certain, thanks to a “final rule” issued by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2024. That rule set an April 24, 2026, deadline for state and local government websites and mobile apps to become compliant.
More specifically, larger governments — those that serve populations of at least 50,000 people — must meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA standards. Agencies must make their web and mobile content understandable to users with disabilities, and offer content that works with assistive technologies, among other requirements.
Smaller public agencies get some wiggle room, with a deadline of April 26, 2027.
As the Department of Justice explained: “Websites and mobile apps that are not accessible can make it difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to access government services, like ordering mail-in ballots or getting tax information, that are quickly and easily available to other members of the public online. Sometimes, inaccessible websites and mobile apps can keep people with disabilities from joining or fully participating in civic or other community events like town meetings or programs at their child’s school.”
At Tyler, innovation and development continues with those deadlines in mind, according to Teeters.
“I think it’s a great goal to have in place,” he said, though he acknowledged it won’t always be easy for every agency to conform. “There will be challenges in meeting that deadline across the board because of legacy systems and funding, but we are on board with all our solutions.”
In fact, ADA compliance helps to drive business in the gov tech sector, perhaps underscoring the need to meet those new federal compliance standards.
For instance, the recent acquisition of community engagement technology firm coUrbanize by budgeting and compliance company Gravity could end up making it easier for public-sector clients to meet those ADA standards, at least according to how Gravity framed the deal, announced in early September.
Two other, relatively vague factors also could help determine the immediate future of ADA compliance in gov tech. The first is changes in federal funding — spending cuts that could directly or indirectly impact the resources available to state and local governments, and compliance-related programs.
“It’s a little early for us to know” about such changes, Teeters said, but if they do happen, “this is where you will see some creativity come into play.”
The other factor is AI, which could emerge as a “game-changer” for compliance, he said — reflecting the disruptive role that AI already is starting to play in gov tech and pretty much every other sector of the economy.
