Accessibility requirements for New York government procurement
New York maintains its own IT accessibility policy in addition to the federal requirements that bind every jurisdiction.
What binds a New York 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 New York, 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 New York 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.
NYS ITS — Accessibility of Web-Based Information and Applications
New York has maintained a web accessibility policy since 1999, originally aligned to the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and revised as those guidelines developed.
Read New York’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.