Accessibility requirements for Louisiana government procurement
Louisiana maintains its own IT accessibility policy in addition to the federal requirements that bind every jurisdiction.
What binds a Louisiana purchase
ADA Title II — WCAG 2.1 Level AA
Applies to the web content and mobile apps of every state and local government entity in Louisiana, whoever built the software. Compliance dates:
- 26 April 2027 — entities serving 50,000 or more
- 26 April 2028 — entities serving under 50,000, and special district governments
Software bought today will still be in service on those dates, which is what makes this a procurement question rather than an IT one.
Section 508 — where federal funds are involved
Governs federal procurement and reaches a great deal of Louisiana spending through federal funding, including most public universities. It incorporates WCAG 2.0 Level AA, and adds chapter requirements that WCAG does not cover — functional performance, software, and support documentation.
If your solicitation cites Section 508, a WCAG-edition conformance report does not answer it. The editions explained.
Louisiana.gov Accessibility Statement
Louisiana's statement of commitment to accessible access to state information, framed around Section 508 practice.
Read Louisiana’s own pageWhat this means when a vendor sends you a report
- Name the standard in the solicitation. The edition a vendor sends back is chosen to match what you asked for. Ask for nothing specific and you will get the edition that flatters the product.
- Ask during evaluation, not after award. Before the contract your leverage is the award itself; after it, your leverage is a change order.
- Keep the record. What you required, what the vendor disclosed, what you challenged and when. If conformance is ever questioned, that record is the useful artifact — not the software.
State-specific information is drawn from Section508.gov — State-level Accessibility Law and Policy, reviewed February 2025. General guidance for procurement planning, not legal advice — verify against the statute or policy that applies to your entity.