On April 24, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced new
ADA rules to ensure websites and mobile applications are accessible to people with disabilities. All state websites, applications, and systems must comply with
WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines by
April 24, 2026. This requirement applies to both sites maintained directly by government staff and those managed by third-party vendors.
Maryland’s Digital Accessibility Policy and
Nonvisual Access Regulatory Standards support these ADA requirements.
DoIT offers three sets of services focused on accessibility and improving digital products. First, the Office of Accessibility provides free consultation and guidance to help state agencies comply with the updated federal requirements (see details below). Second, DoIT offers a suite of accessibility testing and training services through the DoIT Service Catalog (see details below). Third, the
Maryland Digital Playbook provides
guidelines and principles for developing accessible content and
electronic documents for all Marylanders.
If you would like to learn more about our efforts to comply with the updated federal law, beyond what’s described below, or how Maryland is working tirelessly to become a national leader in digital accessibility, please reach out to
[email protected].
DoIT Office of Accessibility Support
Accessibility Guidelines
The Maryland Digital Playbook offers practical
accessibility guidelines and principles for content developers to create inclusive, accessible web experiences for all users. By implementing these standards, organizations not only ensure legal compliance but also expand their reach and improve overall user satisfaction.
1:1 Consultation
Document accessibility training and consultation for Maryland state agencies can be requested by submitting an intake ticket to DoIT at
[email protected].
Accessibility Community of Practice (CoP)
Maryland state agency Accessibility Officers, executive leaders, and interested staff can join the DoIT Accessibility Community of Practice (CoP) by emailing
[email protected].
Weekly Office Hours
Agency staff can join the DoIT Office of Accessibility office hours every Friday from 12:45 PM to 1:45 PM by emailing
[email protected].
Service Catalog
Digital Accessibility Consultation & Training
This service provides training to state employees, contractors, and vendors on digital accessibility, document accessibility, and best practices in procurement including the procurement of appropriate technological solutions. Training covers procurement support, website, systems and applications accessibility, and document accessibility.
For more details (including pricing, maintenance windows, and your responsibilities), please refer to the 
"End User Application/System/Website Accessibility Assessment, Consultation and Training" service agreement.
Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates Review (VPATs)
This service evaluates and reviews completed Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs) from vendors for applications, systems, websites, and hardware to assess their compliance with potential accessibility issues.
For more details (including pricing, maintenance windows, and your responsibilities), please refer to the
"End User Application/System/Website Accessibility Assessment, Consultation and Training" service agreement.
State Accessibility Standards - Cursory and Comprehensive Testing
The Office of Accessibility staff conducts accessibility testing of websites and applications developed by agencies or vendors to evaluate their current accessibility status. Using a combination of manual and automated testing tools, procedures and methods, the team assesses whether the website and/or end user application/system complies with state accessibility standards.
Standard services include cursory testing to examine numerous elements and assess the functionality of most or all pages, depending upon the size of the site or application/system.
Comprehensive testing is also provided as an optional service, which involves an exhaustive examination of all focusable elements, functionality and pages within an application or site.
For more details (including pricing, maintenance windows, and your responsibilities), please refer to the "Website Accessibility Testing & End User Application/System (Agency developed/maintained)" service agreement.
Service Catalog Next Steps