Comment on FR Doc # 2026-07663

Dear Acting Attorney General Blanche: I am a DeafBlind accessibility advocate, certified accessibility tester, and longtime user of assistive technology. I am writing to express my strong opposition to the Department of Justice's decision to postpone implementation of the 2024 Title II website accessibility regulations. These regulations have been anticipated for many years by people with disabilities; delaying their enforcement is both unjustified and deeply harmful. As an advocate, I have spent years working to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to websites, mobile applications, and digital services. Accessible technology is not a luxury—it is an absolute necessity for independence, education, employment, healthcare, civic participation, and everyday life. The development of these regulations was a lengthy, exhaustive process. It took more than a decade for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to publish the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Once the final rule was issued, covered entities were granted ample time to comply—most had at least two years, while smaller municipalities were given three. The Department has not provided a sufficient justification for this sudden postponement. No new facts, emergencies, or unforeseen circumstances have emerged to warrant delaying these long-awaited protections. Furthermore, these regulations were crafted through a transparent, inclusive rulemaking process. Stakeholders from the disability community, government, education, and business sectors submitted thousands of comments following the 2023 proposal. This input directly shaped and refined the final rule under the Administrative Procedure Act. There is no compelling reason to disrupt the outcome of that established legal process. For years, Title II entities requested clear, objective technical standards for digital compliance. The 2024 regulations answered that call by adopting the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)—an internationally recognized framework already woven into the fabric of the technology industry. Public entities now have the exact blueprint they requested; there is no excuse for further delay. In 2026, essential activities—from managing healthcare and pursuing education to applying for government programs and executing legal documents—are overwhelmingly conducted online. When public websites remain inaccessible, people with disabilities are actively stripped of their independence and denied equal participation in society. The urgency of this issue was underscored by the surge of disability organizations and advocates who met with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) this year to sound the alarm on potential delays. This overwhelming mobilization reflects the critical nature of these regulations. I strongly oppose the interim final rule published on April 20, 2026. Equal access to government services is a fundamental civil right. People with disabilities have already waited decades for these protections, and further delays only prolong systemic barriers that should have been dismantled long ago. Thank you for your time and consideration. I urge the Department of Justice to withdraw the interim final rule, restore the original implementation timeline, and hold public entities accountable to all Americans.