Dear Colleagues,
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced an extension of the Section 504 digital accessibility compliance deadline from May 2026 to May 11, 2027, aligning more closely with the previously extended ADA Title II timeline from April 2026 to April 2027. Enforcement under these regulations has been delayed one year, with the intent is to provide additional time for institutions to complete the work required to meet these standards.
In alignment with these federal changes, UC will update elements of the IT Accessibility Policy (ITAP) to directly correspond to the 2027 federal compliance timelines.
UC-specific programmatic expectations and operational requirements remain in effect, and locations are expected to continue making measurable progress under the current policy.
What this means for UC:
- Expectations for progress are unchanged and UC’s IT Accessibility Policy (ITAP) remains in effect as it sets expectations for digital accessibility across the University of California.
- The additional time should be used to advance digital accessibility efforts and mature location ITAP Programs, but not defer work.
- WCAG 2.1 Level AA remains the governing technical accessibility standard under the policy.
- We will continue to focus on high-impact content and services in accordance with the ITAP Prioritization Plan elements (ITAP Section V.C.6).
We have already laid important groundwork and built meaningful momentum the last three years with the Consent Decree work, and those obligations remain in effect regardless of the extended deadlines for the ITAP. This next phase is an opportunity to reinforce that foundation and implement accessibility more consistently into digital content and services creation, maintenance, and delivery.
Need help? Have questions?
Berkeley IT and Research, Teaching, & Learning are available to assist you. For support, please contact the appropriate team:
By continuing this work, UC is honoring both the intent of the federal extensions and the University’s longstanding commitment to equitable access and inclusion.
Sincerely,
Ben Hermalin
Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost
Marc P Fisher
Vice Chancellor, Administration
Oliver M O'Reilly
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education
Suzanne Wones
University Librarian
