Content author: Office of Accessibility 

Each month, we share tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility. This year, over 3,700 subscribers joined us from across Minnesota and beyond. Thank you for being part of our accessibility community! We’d love to hear from you! What topics should we cover in 2026? Share your ideas with us by emailing MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us.

What We Covered This Year

In 2025, we focused on helping state and local governments prepare for the US Department of Justice (DOJ) adding digital accessibility requirements to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The update requires digital content to meet WCAG 2.1 standards—a big step toward more inclusive public services. 

ADA Title II Update Series

We ran a multi-part series to help teams get ready for the new rule and prepare for the April 2026 compliance deadline: 

• Self-Audit (June): We encouraged teams to review their websites and digital tools.
• Strategize and prioritize (July): We shared ways to build accessibility into your roadmap.
• Implement changes (August): We offered tips for making updates and tracking progress.
• Build into your workflow (September): We showed how to make accessibility part of everyday work.
• Final resource guide (October): We wrapped up with a toolkit of standards, training, and testing tools.

Accessibility Exceptions and Risk

In February and March, we explored how Minnesota handles accessibility exceptions. We talked about how to assess risk when full accessibility isn’t possible—and how to document those decisions.

GAAD 2025 Highlights

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) was a big moment:

• We hosted a public panel and experience lab.
• We spotlighted accessibility work by our partners at the legislative and judicial digital branches.
• We shared alternate accessible formats and how to use them.

Inclusive Hiring and Design

In October, we looked at how digital accessibility supports inclusive hiring. We shared ways to make job applications and onboarding more accessible from the start.

Quick Tips and Tools

• We updated our Accessibility Quick Reference Cards in September.
• We explained hover states in April—how they affect users with motor or vision disabilities.
• In November, we introduced a decision tree to help teams know when to request an accessibility review.

What’s Next in 2026?

We’ll keep sharing practical tips and updates. Topics may include:

• Office of Accessibility website updates
• WCAG 2.2 and what’s new
• How AI tools affect digital inclusion

We’d also love to hear from you! Share your success stories or ideas for future articles with us. Email our team at MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us.