Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act and the IITAA 2.1 Standards for State entities

It is the policy of the State of Illinois that information technology developed, purchased, or provided by the State is accessible to individuals with disabilities. The Act defines a State entity as the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the State, including its departments, divisions, agencies, constitutional offices, public bodies, and public universities, and the term does not include units of local government, school districts, or community colleges.

The accessibility standards apply to electronic and information technology developed or procured by a State entity, or to substantial modifications made to it by a State entity, after the State entities incorporate the standards into their procurement policies and procedures. The Director of Central Management Services and each State entity must review the standards and revise their procurement or development rules, policies, and procedures to incorporate them.

The accessibility standards do not require installing specific accessibility-related software or peripheral devices at the workstation of an employee who is not an individual with a disability, or equipment made available at a location where the technology is not customarily available to the public.

In calendar year 2026 and at least every 3 years after, the Department of Innovation and Technology must review the accessibility standards and, as appropriate, amend them to reflect technological advances or changes. Within 6 months after the Department publishes amendments to the standards, other State entities must review the amended standards and make any necessary changes to their procurement policies and procedures to incorporate them.

The IITAA 2.1 Standards require conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA and apply to information technology developed, procured, or substantially modified by State of Illinois entities after June 24, 2024. Technology developed or procured before June 24, 2024 is subject to the IITAA 2.0 Standards, which required conformance with WCAG 2.0 Level AA.

Compliance with the Standards is mandatory for State agencies subject to the Information Technology Accessibility Act. Information and communication technology that is procured, developed, maintained, or used by agencies must conform to the Standards. Electronic content must conform to the Level A and Level AA success criteria and conformance requirements in WCAG 2.1.

User interface components, and the content of platforms and applications, must conform to the Level A and Level AA success criteria and conformance requirements in WCAG 2.1.

The Standards exempt legacy technology that complies with an earlier standard and has not been altered since January 18, 2018, technology a contractor acquires incidentally to a contract, and conformance that an agency determines in writing would impose an undue burden or fundamentally alter the technology, in which case the agency must provide access by an alternative means.