Montana - HHS Section 504
Montana federally-funded nonprofits: website accessibility requirements
Montana's federally-funded nonprofit service providers must bring their websites and digital documents to the WCAG 2.1 Level AA standard under HHS Section 504. Here is the deadline that applies to you, what the standard requires, and the issues most likely to affect nonprofit sites.
Your deadline
HHS Section 504 web rule · WCAG 2.1 AA
- May 11, 2027
- 15 or more employees
- May 10, 2028
- Fewer than 15 employees
Which date applies depends on your employee count. Providers with 15 or more employees fall under the earlier date.
These dates are set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Section 504 web accessibility rule. This is general information, not legal advice.
What WCAG 2.1 AA requires
WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the technical standard both federal rules point to. In practice it means your website, mobile app, and the documents you publish must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust: usable with a keyboard alone, readable by a screen reader, legible at high zoom and adequate contrast, and free of barriers in forms and media.
For federally-funded nonprofits, the surfaces that matter most are usually program-application and service-request forms, resource and eligibility pages, event registration, and downloadable documents.
Common issues on federally-funded nonprofits websites
These are the barriers that most often turn up on nonprofit sites. Use them as a starting checklist.
Program-application forms
Service-request and eligibility forms without proper labels cannot be completed by everyone you serve.
Resource PDFs
Guides, applications, and policies posted as untagged PDFs cannot be read by assistive technology.
Missing image alt text
Program photos and infographics without text alternatives exclude screen-reader users.
Event registration
Sign-up forms that fail keyboard navigation block participation.
Video without captions
Program and impact videos need synchronized captions.
Know exactly where you stand
We'll check your nonprofit website against WCAG 2.1 AA and send a plain-language findings report. No overlay widget, no obligation.