The U.S. Department of Justice is proposing first-ever rules to ensure that websites and mobile apps are accessible to people with disabilities.
Officials with the federal agency said this week that they sent a notice of proposed rulemaking under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act to the Federal Register.
The regulations are designed to improve accessibility of web and mobile applications run by state and local governments and other public entities, the Justice Department said.
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Even as American life has increasingly shifted online, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, many websites remain inaccessible to people with disabilities. The Justice Department has been under pressure for years to adopt regulations clarifying how the ADA applies to the internet, but so far the agency has only issued guidance.