Web Accessibility Laws in Texas

The Texas Human Rights Act (Chapter 21, Texas Labor Code) and the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act prohibit discrimination in public accommodations, paralleling federal ADA protections. While Texas does not have a state-specific web accessibility statute, federal ADA applies to all Texas businesses that qualify as places of public accommodation.

Texas has seen a 340% increase in web accessibility lawsuits between 2018 and 2024, as plaintiff firms expand beyond their traditional New York and California base. The Northern District of Texas (Dallas) and Southern District (Houston) are increasingly active venues for digital accessibility litigation. With over 30 million residents and the second-largest state economy, Texas businesses represent a significant target pool.

Texas state agencies and local governments face specific digital accessibility mandates. The Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) requires state agencies to comply with Section 508 standards and has published the Texas Web Accessibility Policy mandating WCAG conformance for state-operated websites.

The federal ADA Title II deadline of April 24, 2026 will require all Texas state and local government websites to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. This affects:

• 254 county governments and their associated websites and portals
• 1,200+ city and town websites providing public services online
• Public school districts and their learning management systems
• State agency portals including licensing, permits, and benefits applications

Non-compliance after the deadline exposes these entities to DOJ enforcement actions and private lawsuits.

While Texas historically lagged behind New York and California in web accessibility filings, the trend is accelerating sharply. Over 450 federal web accessibility cases were filed in Texas districts in 2024, up from just 120 in 2020. Key trends include:

• E-commerce targeting: Texas-based online retailers and businesses with Texas customers are increasingly targeted by out-of-state plaintiff firms
• Healthcare: Texas hospital systems and telehealth providers face growing scrutiny, with several major health systems settling for six-figure amounts
• Higher education: Texas universities have faced OCR complaints over inaccessible course materials and registration systems
• Energy sector: Oil and gas companies' public-facing investor portals and career sites have been targeted

Average settlements in Texas range from $10,000 to $75,000, with the cost of remediation often exceeding the settlement amount.

Begin with a free CompliScan accessibility scan to identify WCAG 2.1 AA violations on your website. Automated scanning catches 30-40% of issues — the same violations that plaintiff firms use automated tools to detect before filing lawsuits.

For Texas businesses, key compliance steps include:

• Scan all public-facing pages including product listings, service descriptions, contact forms, and career pages
• Fix critical issues first: Missing alt text, unlabeled forms, keyboard traps, and contrast failures are the most commonly cited violations
• Document your efforts: Texas courts consider good-faith remediation efforts when evaluating claims
• Monitor continuously: CompliScan Shield ($49/mo) runs weekly scans to catch new issues before they become legal exposure

For Texas agencies and municipalities preparing for the April 2026 ADA Title II deadline, Shield Pro ($149/mo) provides daily scans and PDF compliance reports suitable for regulatory documentation. The Agency plan ($299/mo) is ideal for Texas web agencies managing multiple client sites.