Which rules may apply
Being a nonprofit does not exempt an organization from the ADA. Title III covers private entities that operate places of public accommodation, which include many social service, education, and recreation organizations. Religious organizations and private clubs have specific exemptions. An organization that receives federal financial assistance may also have obligations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Organizations that receive HHS funding may be affected by the HHS web rule, with May 11, 2027 for 15 or more employees and May 10, 2028 for fewer than 15.
There is no DOJ technical website rule for private organizations, and WCAG 2.1 AA is a common benchmark. Ask your attorney which of these apply to you.
Where nonprofit sites break
- Donation forms. Unlabeled fields, amount buttons that look the same to a screen reader, and card errors that are not announced. Losing a donor at checkout is expensive.
- Event pages and registration. Calendars and ticketing tools that cannot be used by keyboard.
- Impact stories. Powerful photos and videos with no descriptions or captions.
- Annual reports. Glossy designed PDFs that are one big image.
- Volunteer sign up. Long forms with unclear steps and time outs.
- Embedded social feeds. Widgets that add noise and focus traps.
Resources are limited, so choose well
Most nonprofits do not have a developer, a budget, or time. That is why priorities matter. Start with the path a donor takes, then the path a client or volunteer takes. Fix those and you protect revenue and mission. Ask your donation platform, ticketing tool, and website builder what they have tested. Many nonprofit platforms publish accessibility statements, and a good one is a reason to stay.
How we can help
The free scan shows what is visible on your home page. Our remediation work targets the highest impact fixes first, and ongoing maintenance keeps volunteers who add content from undoing them. If your site needs a rebuild, see accessible redesigns. Related: medical clinics and municipalities.
General information, not legal advice. Automated testing cannot establish full ADA compliance or guarantee protection from lawsuits. It finds some kinds of barriers quickly. A person still has to test the rest. Ask a qualified attorney how the law applies to you.
Frequently asked questions
Are nonprofits exempt from the ADA?
No general exemption exists. Religious organizations and private clubs have specific exemptions, and which rules apply depends on what the organization does. Ask counsel.
Does Section 504 apply to us?
If you receive federal financial assistance, Section 504 may apply. The HHS web rule applies to recipients of HHS assistance, with dates of May 11, 2027 and May 10, 2028 depending on size.
What should we fix first?
Your donation form and the page that leads to it, then event registration and volunteer forms.
Is a volunteer built site a problem?
It is not a problem by itself, but volunteer built sites are often not tested for accessibility. Scan it and test key forms by hand.