Imagine a neighbor with vision loss trying to sign up for your summer picnic but finding the form unreadable. Or a community member who can’t access meeting minutes because the PDFs aren’t screen-reader friendly. In 2025, there’s a growing push to make sure that every community member—including people with disabilities—can fully participate online.

In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) finalized a rule that sets clear accessibility standards for websites and mobile apps under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This rule applies to state and local governments, but it’s also raising expectations for all public-serving groups, including homeowners associations, neighborhood groups and community organizations.

What’s Changing? The new DOJ rule requires government websites and apps to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA—the gold standard for digital accessibility. And while association communities aren’t explicitly covered (yet), the message is clear: public-facing services like event registrations, amenity bookings and notices should be usable by everyone.

Courts and advocacy groups are already recognizing WCAG as the standard. If your association website is open to the public, now’s the perfect time to take action.

Why Accessibility Matters for Your Association

• Inclusivity: Make sure every neighbor, including people with vision, hearing, or mobility disabilities, can participate fully in your community.
• Reduce Legal Risks: Avoid complaints and legal challenges by meeting recognized accessibility standards.
• Better Experience for All: Accessible websites are easier to navigate, faster, and more user-friendly for everyone.

Your 2025 Action Plan: 5 Steps Toward an Accessible Website

1. Audit Your Website: Use tools like Lighthouse to run an automated audit as well as conducting a manual review
2. Follow WCAG 2.1 AA Standards: Ensure 
   1. Text alternatives for images 
   2. Keyboard friendly navigation
   3. High color contrast 
   4. Text resizing is possible
   5. Navigation is consistent across pages
   6. Links are descriptive
3. Make Your Documents Accessible: PDFs and downloadable forms should be readable with screen readers.
4. Caption and Transcribe Media: Videos should have captions and audio content should have transcripts.
5. Train Your Team: Help your website managers and content creators learn accessibility basics.

Don’t Wait: Make 2025 Your Accessibility Year While the DOJ’s rule currently applies to government websites, its influence is spreading quickly. More than a legal safeguard, an accessible website shows that your community welcomes and includes everyone.

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