Extension of Compliance Dates for Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities

The Finger Lakes Independence Center, an organization serving people with disabilities, opposes the extension of compliance dates for website and application accessibility. They argue that delaying the deadline will continue to exclude people with disabilities from essential services like medical portals and that the extension undermines the importance of the existing regulations.

Charlotte Patera, a policy coordinator for North Central Independent Living Services and a resident with disabilities, opposes the proposed extension of compliance dates. She argues that state and local governments have already had sufficient time to comply and that inaccessible web information directly hinders the participation of citizens with disabilities.

The commenter is a DeafBlind accessibility advocate who opposes the Department of Justice's decision to postpone the implementation of the 2024 Title II website accessibility regulations. They argue that the delay is unjustified, harms the independence of people with disabilities, and disrupts a transparent rulemaking process that already provided public entities with the necessary technical standards.

Samantha Jane Cocroft, a licensed speech-language pathologist and CEO of Libb, Inc., states she does not take a position on the date extension itself. Instead, she argues that the Department's accessibility framework should be updated to measure "understandability" (comprehension) for individuals with cognitive and language disabilities, rather than just "perceivability" and "operability."

A web developer at a small municipality expresses support for the initiative to establish digital accessibility standards for public entities. While the commenter notes concerns about their specific municipality's overreaction and the lack of guidance for legal counsel, they ultimately advocate for the continued progress of the rule.

Shyla Patera, the Policy Coordinator for North Central Independent Living Services Inc., opposes the proposed rule to extend compliance dates for web accessibility. She argues that state and local governments have had sufficient time to comply and that inaccessible web information directly hinders the community participation and employment of people with disabilities.

The SBA Office of Advocacy supports the proposed extension of compliance dates because it provides temporary relief for small businesses. However, they argue that the underlying 2024 rule exceeds the DOJ's statutory authority and recommend that the agency either withdraw the rule or adopt alternatives such as exempting small governments with populations under 10,000 and creating safe harbors to reduce litigation risks.

The commenter, a former client of a state vocational rehabilitation agency, argues against extending the compliance dates for web accessibility. They contend that delays in meeting these standards create hidden costs by reducing the efficiency of services for disabled individuals and hinder their ability to work independently.

A blind resident of Florida describes the significant barriers and frustrations they face when trying to access state and local government websites due to lack of accessibility features. The commenter argues that delaying the enforcement of accessibility standards prolongs these struggles and hinders the ability of people with disabilities to participate fully in public life.