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Regents staff told new web‑accessibility rules take effect April 24, 2026; vendor hired to help update sites
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Summary
At a virtual communications workshop, the Board of Regents’ presenter said Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA take effect 04/24/2026; the office contracted Mesh in Baton Rouge to help update agency and partner sites and told staff the short‑term compliance target is about 80–85%.
An unidentified communications presenter for the Board of Regents told staff during a virtual design workshop that Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA take effect on April 24, 2026, and that the agency has contracted Mesh in Baton Rouge to help make its sites compliant.
The presenter said the region is redoing agency sites, work that includes Lewis, LumCon at LOSFA and some secondary providers, and that external vendors (such as dual‑enrollment partners) will also be expected to meet accessibility requirements. "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA, go into effect on 04/24/2026," the presenter said. She added that she has been submitting paperwork to the ADA state coordinator to document progress.
Why it matters: WCAG 2.1 AA is a commonly referenced standard for web accessibility; noncompliant websites can create access barriers for people with disabilities and raise legal and operational risk for state agencies. The presenter said the state coordinator communicated a practical near‑term target of roughly 80–85 percent compliance as evidence of meaningful progress rather than immediate perfection.
Details staff were told during the workshop included the contractor engagement and next steps. "We have contracted out with Mesh here in Baton Rouge. They do a lot of ADA work for websites," the presenter said, and added that the work "has taken up an obscene amount of my time" and will continue to require substantial effort. She said agency staff have been placing paperwork with the ADA state coordinator and that the office will include legal language on sites to clarify progress and protections.
The presenter also said she is participating in a national panel on accessibility and that staff should expect follow‑up materials: a recording of the workshop, two handouts and an in‑depth Adobe InDesign tips sheet. No formal votes or policy decisions were recorded at the session; the discussion was informational and intended to prepare communications staff for the upcoming regulatory deadline.
The office said it will share templates and asset libraries with staff and follow up by email with links and the recording.
