Accessibility requirements for Pennsylvania government procurement
Pennsylvania does not stop at requiring its own websites to be accessible — its rules reach the technology it buys, which puts a vendor's conformance report inside the requirement.
What binds a Pennsylvania purchase
ADA Title II — WCAG 2.1 Level AA
Applies to the web content and mobile apps of every state and local government entity in Pennsylvania, whoever built the software. Compliance dates:
- 26 April 2027 — entities serving 50,000 or more
- 26 April 2028 — entities serving under 50,000, and special district governments
Software bought today will still be in service on those dates, which is what makes this a procurement question rather than an IT one.
Section 508 — where federal funds are involved
Governs federal procurement and reaches a great deal of Pennsylvania spending through federal funding, including most public universities. It incorporates WCAG 2.0 Level AA, and adds chapter requirements that WCAG does not cover — functional performance, software, and support documentation.
If your solicitation cites Section 508, a WCAG-edition conformance report does not answer it. The editions explained.
Pennsylvania ITP-ACC001 — Digital Accessibility
Guidance for planning, designing, building, testing, maintaining and procuring accessible digital content and services, issued by the Office of Administration / OIT. Binding on agencies under the Governor's jurisdiction; others are strongly encouraged to follow it.
Read Pennsylvania’s own pageBeyond the website
Pennsylvania regulates the technology it buys
What the rule requires of a purchase
Third-party vendors, licensors, contractors and suppliers must meet the policy's requirements for the digital content and services they provide to the Commonwealth. Procurement is named in the policy's own purpose statement.
Why this changes the review
A requirement that binds only your own website is satisfied by fixing your own website. A requirement that binds the purchase is satisfied by the vendor, and the only evidence you will hold is the conformance report they hand over — so whether that report is accurate stops being a technical question and becomes a contractual one.
How the review worksWhat this means when a vendor sends you a report
- Name the standard in the solicitation. The edition a vendor sends back is chosen to match what you asked for. Ask for nothing specific and you will get the edition that flatters the product.
- Ask during evaluation, not after award. Before the contract your leverage is the award itself; after it, your leverage is a change order.
- Keep the record. What you required, what the vendor disclosed, what you challenged and when. If conformance is ever questioned, that record is the useful artifact — not the software.
Section508.gov — State-level Accessibility Law and Policy does not list Pennsylvania. The entry above was researched from Pennsylvania’s own statute, regulation or policy page in August 2026 and links to it directly. General guidance for procurement planning, not legal advice — verify against the statute or policy that applies to your entity, and check the current status of any pending legislation named above.