All digital content made available after April 24, 2026 must meet WCAG 2.1 AA requirements.
Learn more: ADA Fact Sheet: Summary of the Exceptions
A ‘preexisting digital document’ is any PDF, spreadsheet, or word processing document that was made available before April 24, 2026.
Any digital documents people use to apply for, gain access to, or take part in your services, programs, or activities must be accessible and meet WCAG 2.1 AA requirements by April 24, 2026.
A digital document is exempt from this requirement, and is not required to meet WCAG 2.1 AA requirements, if:
-
It was made available prior to April 24, 2026 AND
-
It is only kept for research, reference, or recordkeeping.
Digital documents that are exempt from this requirement do not need to be archived, but we strongly advise adding exempt, preexisting digital documents to your digital archive.
By adding exempt digital documents to your site archive, you will make it much easier for you and your team to ensure that all new documents are fully accessible and all non-exempt documents have been remediated to meet WCAG 2.1 AA requirements.
Questions? Reach out: improving-accessibility@berkeley.edu