Is Clarkston's Website Ready for the ADA Title II Deadline?
Did you know the deadline already changed?
Here's something many local officials missed: the original compliance deadline has already moved once. On April 20, 2026, the Department of Justice issued an Interim Final Rule pushing each deadline back a full year — which means Clarkston's date is now April 26, 2028. A one-time extension is a grace period, not a reprieve. There is no indication another one is coming.
Clarkston's latest accessibility scan
Overall compliance risk: Moderate — content reads at grade 11.0, above the grade-8 plain-language target
Top issues, in plain English
- critical Images have no text alternative, so screen readers can't describe them (WCAG 1.1.1 · 39 pages)
- critical Buttons have no accessible name — assistive tech users can't tell what they do (WCAG 4.1.2 · 2 pages)
- critical Dropdown menus have no label — users can't tell what they're choosing (WCAG 4.1.2 · 2 pages)
- serious Embedded frames have no title, so screen readers announce them as unnamed (WCAG 4.1.2 · 80 pages)
- serious Text is too low-contrast against its background to read comfortably (WCAG 1.4.3 · 7 pages)
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What WCAG 2.1 Level AA means for town government websites
With 764 residents, Clarkston falls under the DOJ's small-entity tier (under 50,000 population), which comes with the later of the two federal deadlines — but the same technical standard.
WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the technical standard the DOJ adopted for ADA Title II. In plain terms, it's a checklist that makes sure residents who use screen readers, keyboard navigation, or captions can actually use your website: text on every image, labels on every form field, enough color contrast to read, and video captions.
Smaller entities sometimes assume they're exempt. They aren't — the later deadline is the only accommodation the rule makes for size. Services like utility bill payment, permit applications, and public meeting agendas all need to work for residents with disabilities.
Clarkston is a small community, and its website is the front door for utility bill payment, permit applications, and public meeting agendas. Under ADA Title II, that front door has to work for every resident.
Don't find out about problems from a demand letter
A11yCheck monitors Clarkston's website continuously and sends a plain-English weekly digest — no technical background needed.