2027 Accessibility Implementation Roadmap

The 2027 Digital Accessibility Implementation Roadmap provides a structured path for agencies to use the remaining time before the April 26, 2027, ADA Title II compliance date effectively. The plan establishes statewide checkpoints to guide progress and includes a readiness roadmap template (xlsx) agencies can use to prioritize digital services, assign ownership, identify risks and remediation needs, and track progress toward accessibility readiness.

Phase 1: September - October 2026

Scope & Prioritize

  • Validate existing digital inventories and classify in-scope public-facing websites, web applications, mobile applications, documents, forms, and third-party digital services as Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 based on risk and impact. 
  • Assign a business and/or technical owner for Tier 1 services and establish ownership for Tier 2 and Tier 3 services where not already identified. 
  • Identify known accessibility barriers, major vendor dependencies, and services that have not yet been adequately assessed.
  • Identify whether likely remediation will rely on agency capacity, NCDIT support, or State Term Contract services. 
  • Identify teams responsible for priority services and accessibility knowledge or training needs that could affect implementation.
  • Connect agency teams to existing NCDIT guidance, established learning opportunities, checklists, office hours, or external training resources based on identified needs.

Checkpoint: October 31 - In-scope services are prioritized by tier, with Tier 1 scope, ownership, known risks, and major dependencies clearly visible.

Phase 2: November - December 2026

Assess & Plan

  • Assess Tier 1 services first, using available automated, manual, vendor, complaint, and prior testing evidence; document significant known barriers. 
  • Begin assessment of Tier 2 services as capacity allows, prioritizing those with higher usage, known barriers, significant vendor dependencies, or other emerging risks. 
  • Include mobile applications in assessment planning and use mobile-platform accessibility testing appropriate to the application and priority user workflows. 
  • Establish prioritized remediation actions, owners, target dates, and delivery paths for significant Tier 1 risks and Tier 2 risks identified through assessment. 
  • Engage vendors on accessibility deficiencies and obtain remediation commitments/roadmaps where needed. 
  • Use the State Term Contract when specialized testing or remediation exceeds internal capacity and agency funding is available. 
  • Identify PDFs/documents for retirement, valid Title II exception review, HTML conversion, web-form modernization, or remediation. 
  • Continue to address straightforward accessibility improvements across all tiers when they can be resolved without delaying higher-risk work.

Checkpoint: December 31 - Significant Tier 1 risks have an executable remediation path and timeline, and Tier 2 assessment is underway based on risk and available capacity.

Phase 3: January – February 2027

Remediate & Validate

  • Remediate and validate Tier 1 barriers first, while continuing Tier 2 assessment and remediation based on risk and available capacity. 
  • Validate priority mobile application workflows alongside web services where mobile applications are in scope. 
  • Resolve or formally track significant third-party accessibility issues and vendor commitments. 
  • Accelerate PDF reduction, PDF-to-HTML conversion, web-form modernization, and remediation of documents that must remain online. 
  • Target NCDIT manual testing and technical consultation to highest-risk services based on available capacity; use contract resources to supplement capacity where available. 
  • Prevent new barriers by applying accessibility requirements to new projects, releases, procurements, renewals, and newly published content regardless of tier. 
  • Use recurring implementation and testing issues to inform guidance and learning resources where they can have the greatest impact. 
  • Address Tier 3 quick wins and emerging risks where practical, particularly when services are already being changed, redesigned, replaced, or are the subject of accessibility complaints.

Checkpoint: February 28 - Tier 1 remediation and validation are progressing, Tier 2 work is advancing based on risk and capacity, and remaining critical risks are known.

Phase 4: March - April 2027

Verify Readiness & Escalate

  • Complete priority remediation and verify Tier 1 critical/high-impact services as appropriate. 
  • Continue remediation of Tier 2 services based on risk and capacity, while establishing a defined post-April path for remaining Tier 2 and Tier 3 work. 
  • Document remaining known barriers across all tiers, owners, mitigation/remediation paths, vendor dependencies, and decisions regarding applicable exceptions. 
  • Escalate unresolved high-risk issues while time remains for executive intervention. 
  • Confirm ongoing processes for monitoring, procurement, project delivery, complaint response, corrective action, training/guidance, and remediation after the deadline. 
  • Produce a statewide readiness assessment.

Checkpoint: April 2027 - Leadership can see readiness, residual risk, ownership, and next actions, including work that must continue after the compliance date.

Off