ADA Lawsuits on the Rise—Is Your School Website WCAG 2.2-Ready?

School websites have become essential communication lifelines – and a potential legal liability if they aren’t accessible to all. In recent years, there’s been a sharp increase in lawsuits targeting websites (including school sites) that fail to accommodate people with disabilities. More than 4,600 ADA web accessibility lawsuits were filed in 2023, and 2024 saw even more in federal and state courts. The message is clear: web accessibility is no longer optional. Compounding the urgency, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a final rule in April 2024 under ADA Title II requiring state and local governments – which include public schools – to ensure their websites and apps are accessible. And let’s not forget the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2), the latest international standard, was published as a recommendation in late 2023. WCAG 2.2 introduces new success criteria to support users with disabilities (like improved focus indicators and accessible authentication methods), raising the bar from the older WCAG 2.1 standard.

For K–12 leaders, the stakes are twofold: compliance and community. Legally, non-compliance can result in lawsuits, Office for Civil Rights complaints, and costly settlements – not to mention reputational damage. Ethically, an inaccessible website means you are unintentionally excluding parents, students, or staff with disabilities from critical information. Imagine a parent who is blind unable to access your online enrollment forms, or a student with low vision struggling to read assignments on the school site – these scenarios are all too common if we don’t prioritize accessibility.

So, is your school’s website WCAG 2.2-ready? Let’s break down what that means and how you can ensure it is.

Understanding WCAG 2.2 and Why It Matters

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 are the latest set of best practices for making web content usable for people with disabilities. They build on the previous 2.1 guidelines with 9 additional criteria. In practical terms, adhering to WCAG 2.2 (at Level AA, which is the standard target for legal compliance) means your website has features such as:

• Text alternatives for non-text content: Images have alt text so screen reader users can know what they depict. Audio/video have captions or transcripts.
  
  
• Keyboard accessibility: All menus, links, and features can be navigated without a mouse (critical for users with motor impairments). WCAG 2.2 even emphasizes ensuring keyboard focus isn’t hidden behind pop-ups or headers.
  
  
• Clear focus indicators: When users tab through a page, the currently focused element is clearly visible (new in WCAG 2.2 is stricter guidance on focus appearance).
  
  
• Sufficient color contrast: Text has high contrast against backgrounds so that users with low vision or color blindness can read it.
  
  
• Responsive and zoomable design: Content reflows properly on mobile devices and when zoomed in up to 200% or more, aiding users with low vision.
  
  
• Avoiding content that causes seizures or physical reactions: No flashing animations that could trigger seizures, etc.
  
  
• User-friendly forms and authentication: This is a WCAG 2.2 highlight – making sure login or form processes don’t rely on impossible tasks for some users. For example, if you have a CAPTCHA, there must be an accessible alternative (so an audio option or a different verification method). Likewise, minimizing required re-entry of information (the new “Redundant Entry” criterion) helps users with cognitive or memory disabilities.
  

Staying current with WCAG matters because it’s often referenced in legal settlements and policies. Many states and the federal government (through DOJ) are effectively expecting WCAG 2.x compliance. In short, if your site meets WCAG 2.2 AA, you’re providing an accessible experience and greatly mitigating legal risk.

The Surge in ADA Web Lawsuits Involving School Websites

The education sector has been under the legal microscope for web accessibility. Why are lawsuits on the rise? A few factors:

• Awareness: Individuals with disabilities (or advocacy groups) are more aware of their digital rights. If a school’s website has barriers, it’s more likely to be reported or end up in court now.
  
  
• Precedents: There have been high-profile settlements where schools had to spend significant funds to revamp their sites and pay damages. This motivates others to proactively check school sites.
  
  
• Regulatory Action: The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the Department of Education has conducted sweeps, and many school have entered agreements to fix website issues. The new DOJ rule (for public entities) essentially codifies what was a gray area – now there’s clarity that public school websites must be accessible, period.
  
  

Some common issues that trigger complaints: missing alt text on important images (like a graphic of a school calendar that a screen reader can’t interpret), PDFs of newsletters or menus that are not tagged for accessibility, videos of board meetings without captions, or navigation menus that can’t be operated by keyboard. If your school has any of these, it’s time to fix them before a complaint lands on your desk.

One real-world example: In 2022, a parent filed an OCR complaint against a district because the school lunch menu PDF each month was not accessible – their child had dietary restrictions, and the parent (who was blind) couldn’t read the PDF with a screen reader. The district ended up not only updating how they post menus (now using HTML pages or accessible PDFs) but had to audit their entire site for compliance as part of the resolution. These stories abound, and the cost of retroactive fixes can far exceed the cost of doing it right from the start.

Steps to Ensure Your Website is Accessible and WCAG 2.2-Compliant

1. Audit Your Current Website: Start with an accessibility audit. This can be done via automated tools (like WAVE or Axe) to catch obvious issues, but don’t rely solely on automation – about 30-40% of accessibility issues can be detected by tools, the rest require manual review. Consider hiring an accessibility expert or asking your website provider for a compliance report. Some schools engage visually impaired users to navigate the site and give feedback – an invaluable perspective.

2. Fix High-Priority Issues: Triage the problems. Issues that prevent access to key info (e.g., broken keyboard navigation on the main menu, or images with vital info lacking alt text) are top priority. Also fix things that could pose severe difficulties: for instance, if your school calendar is only available as a scanned PDF image, get it into an accessible format (HTML or a tagged PDF). If videos (like those wonderful school event recaps) lack captions, add them (YouTube auto-caption can be a starting point, but ensure accuracy).

3. Update Design and Code for WCAG 2.2: Work with your web developer or vendor to implement the structural fixes needed for full WCAG compliance. This might include:

• Ensuring focus order on the page is logical.
  
  
• Adding ARIA labels where needed (for screen reader context, e.g., labeling search bars or navigation regions).
  
  
• Making sure any new WCAG 2.2 criteria are addressed – for example, check that all interactive components have a visible focus outline (perhaps a thicker outline per the new guidelines), and that any drag-and-drop features have an alternate way to operate (WCAG 2.2’s “Dragging Movements” criterion).
  
  
• Testing form pages to ensure things like error messages are announced to screen readers.

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4. Implement Ongoing Monitoring and Training: Accessibility isn’t a one-and-done project; it’s an ongoing commitment. Designate someone (or a team) to be responsible for web accessibility maintenance. When new content is added (like a PDF or image or page), have a checklist to ensure it meets guidelines. Train staff who upload documents or edit web pages on the basics (for example, how to write good alt text, or use heading structures properly). Consider an accessibility statement on your website – a page that affirms your commitment to accessibility and provides contact info for users to report issues. Not only is this a best practice, but it also shows good faith; if someone does encounter a barrier, they can reach out and you can address it before it escalates to a complaint or lawsuit.

5. Engage an Expert Partner if Needed: If your school’s website is managed by an outside vendor or if you’re planning a redesign, make accessibility a key criterion. For instance, SOLVED Consulting builds websites with accessibility in mind from the ground up. Our School Website design service ensures that every site template is WCAG-compliant, and we even include features like on-page font resizing, translation options, and ADA-compliant color schemes as part of the package. We also offer training for school content managers on maintaining accessibility long-term. Whether you use SOLVED or another provider, insist on seeing their track record on accessibility. It should be as non-negotiable as having a responsive (mobile-friendly) design.

Beyond Compliance: The Benefits of an Accessible Website

While avoiding lawsuits and OCR letters is a strong motivator, the true benefit of an accessible website is inclusive engagement. When your website is WCAG 2.2-ready, all members of your school community benefit:

• A mother with low vision can comfortably read the principal’s weekly newsletter on the site (instead of giving up in frustration).
  
  
• A student who is deaf can watch the school’s morning video announcements with captions and feel just as informed.
  
  
• A grandparent with limited tech experience finds the simplified navigation (a side effect of good accessible design) easy to use when checking on school events.
  
  
• And yes, your SEO may even improve – search engines love well-structured, text-based content (those image alt texts and video transcripts not only help accessibility, they make your content more discoverable).
  
  

Moreover, showing leadership in accessibility bolsters your school’s reputation. It signals that you value equity and inclusion, not just in the classroom but in all facets of your operations. At a time when schools are competing for student enrollment and community trust, this is a positive differentiator.

Is Your Website Ready? Next Steps

Perform a quick self-check today: Visit your school homepage and try to navigate using only your keyboard (tab through links – can you access everything?). Turn on your screen reader (most computers have one built-in, like Narrator on Windows or VoiceOver on Mac) and see how your content sounds. If you encounter barriers, it’s likely that users with disabilities do too.

If you’re unsure where to start or you identify a laundry list of issues, don’t panic – make a plan. Prioritize fixes, reach out for expert help, and inform your community that improvements are underway. Transparency can go a long way; for instance, posting an update that “We are currently working to improve our website’s accessibility to better serve all users” sets a positive tone and might encourage anyone who spots an issue to report it to you directly.

Finally, keep in mind the DOJ’s timeline. The rule from 2024 may give public entities some time (often rules allow 18-24 months for compliance). But why wait? The sooner your site meets standards, the sooner you both protect your school and serve your community.

Need Help Making the Grade in Web Accessibility?

Ensuring your website is WCAG 2.2-compliant can be complex, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. SOLVED Consulting has expertise in building school websites for full ADA compliance. Whether you need a quick accessibility audit of your current site or are considering a complete redesign, we can assist. Our team stays up-to-date with the latest guidelines (WCAG 2.2 and beyond) and practical techniques to implement them. The outcome is a website that not only checks the compliance boxes but is also visually appealing and easy to use for everyone.

Don’t wait for a complaint to take action. Reach out to SOLVED for a consultation on how to make your school's website accessible, modern, and welcoming to all. Together, let’s ensure that no student, parent, or community member is left behind when they visit your online front door.