ADA Laws for Family Medicine in Indiana

State Law Summary

Website accessibility requirements in Indiana follow a similar pattern to other states, with distinct obligations for public sector entities and private businesses. Public entities face specific state laws and a firm federal deadline, while private businesses must navigate federal requirements that carry significant legal risk.

The table below summarizes the key differences for Indiana:

Requirements for Public Entities in Indiana

Indiana has established a robust framework for public sector digital accessibility, combining specific state regulations with federal mandates.

• Indiana Code 4-13.1-3: This state law mandates that all state information technology equipment, software, and systems utilized by state employees or the public must comply with Section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 . The law includes the executive, legislative, judicial, and administrative branches of both state and local governments . The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) explicitly follows this code, working with the state's Assistive Technology Standards Group (ATSG) to monitor pages and remove accessibility obstacles .
• Federal Title II ADA Requirements - April 24, 2026 Deadline: The U.S. Department of Justice issued a final rule in April 2024 requiring all state and local government entities to make digital content accessible. Indiana University has announced a sweeping digital accessibility initiative in response, requiring all digital materials to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA by April 24, 2026 . This includes:
  • Websites and mobile applications
  • Course content and learning management systems (like Canvas)
  • Shared electronic documents (Office and Google files, PDFs)
  • Software and web apps
  • University social media accounts
  • Videos and multimedia content
  • Content provided by third-party vendors
• State Government Commitment: The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) explicitly states that all electronic information, documents, and technology must be accessible before posting, as required by law . FSSA also maintains a user tester group where volunteers with disabilities provide feedback on improving web content accessibility .
• Statewide Accessibility Tools: The State of Indiana provides an Accessibility Screen Reader and Tool Bar (Reach Deck) and accessibility settings via accessiBe in the standard footer of every IN.gov page . The state also uses a Quality Assurance and Accessibility tool to identify 508/ADA accessibility issues, spelling mistakes, and broken links .

Website Compliance Rules

Implications for Private Businesses in Indiana

For private businesses, the legal landscape is shaped by federal law rather than specific Indiana state regulations.

• Federal ADA Title III: Private businesses that are "public accommodations" (e.g., restaurants, hotels, banks, retail stores, professional offices) are covered under Title III of the federal ADA . Courts have increasingly interpreted websites as places of "public accommodation," meaning commercial websites must be accessible to users with disabilities .
• The Legal Standard - WCAG: While the Department of Justice has not issued specific technical rules for private websites, most website accessibility lawsuits are based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) , which provide the technical standard for making web content accessible .
• Indiana's Pending Legislation: Unlike some states (like Kansas, which enacted an anti-abusive litigation law), Indiana does not currently have specific legislation addressing predatory website accessibility lawsuits, though such bills have been considered in other states. Attorneys in Indiana note that the lack of blanket regulations creates uncertainty for businesses .
• State Standard as Guidance: While private businesses are not directly impacted by Indiana Code 4-13.1-3, following similar practices can help steer clear of legal problems with broader accessibility laws like the ADA .

Damages & Penalties

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Failing to ensure website accessibility can lead to serious consequences for both public and private entities in Indiana.

• For Public Entities (Indiana Code 4-13.1-3) : There are no immediate financial penalties under this specific state law. Instead, non-compliant entities must send a plan to the state on how they will get back on track and what alternative accessibility options they will provide in the meantime .
• For ADA Violations (Federal) :
  • First-time violations: Fines of up to $75,000
  • Subsequent violations: Fines up to $150,000
  • Section 508 violations: Can result in lawsuits, fines, or loss of federal contracts
• Private Business Litigation Risk: Indiana businesses receiving ADA demand letters or lawsuits face significant legal defense costs, potential settlement payments, and court-ordered website renovations . The number of ADA website lawsuits has been rising nationally, and Indiana businesses are not exempt from this trend .
• Reputational Damage: Beyond legal consequences, inaccessible websites can damage customer trust and brand reputation .

Practical Steps for Compliance

Whether you are a public entity preparing for the 2026 deadline or a private business seeking to reduce legal risk, proactive measures are key.

• Conduct Regular Accessibility Evaluations: Assess your website's current accessibility through comprehensive audits to detect common issues such as insufficient color contrast or missing alternative text . Indiana University recommends using tools like Siteimprove to identify and fix accessibility issues .
• Address Common Issues:
  • Add alt text to images: Prevents screen readers from being unable to describe visual content to blind users
  • Caption videos: Videos without captions are inaccessible to deaf or hard-of-hearing users
  • Ensure keyboard navigation: Websites must be navigable using only a keyboard for users with motor impairments
  • Fix color contrast: Poor contrast makes text difficult for users with low vision to read
  • Remediate PDFs: Use PDF remediation to fix issues like missing tags, reading order, or image descriptions
• Clean Up Unused Content: Delete or archive digital content that is no longer used. Indiana University suggests using tools like TidyUp to clean up Canvas courses and clarify what needs to be changed . FSSA notes that if files are no longer relevant, they should be removed from the web—historical documents can be archived offline and made available upon request .
• Provide Source Documents: When submitting documents to be posted online, provide original Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files whenever possible, as these are easier to make accessible than scanned PDFs .
• Participate in User Testing: FSSA welcomes volunteers with disabilities to participate in user tester groups to provide feedback on improving accessibility . This practice can be adopted by any organization committed to inclusion.
• Staff Training: Indiana University notes that creating accessible content is a collective effort requiring collaboration from everyone, and they are developing accessibility training for faculty, staff, and students .

Resources for Indiana Entities

• Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) ADA Coordinator: ada@fssa.in.gov for accessibility feedback, complaints, or assistance
• ATTAIN, Inc.: Ensures people with disabilities in Indiana have access to assistive technology
• Indiana Governor's Planning Council: Promotes public policy for independence and inclusion of people with disabilities
• Indiana Protection & Advocacy Services: Protects and promotes rights of individuals with disabilities
• W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) : International standards for web accessibility
• Indiana University Accessibility: https://accessibility.iu.edu/