North Dakota Officials Warn of Potential Website Content Removal to Meet Accessibility Rules

Governments face deadlines to make websites and apps compliant with federal disability standards, but some say removing content may be easier than updating.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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North Dakota government agencies are facing deadlines to bring their websites and mobile apps into compliance with new federal accessibility standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, some officials warn that content may need to be removed rather than updated to meet the requirements, potentially reducing government transparency.

Why it matters

The new federal rules aim to improve access to government information and services for people with disabilities. But the potential removal of content from government websites could limit public access to important information like financial audits, engineering plans, and meeting minutes, undermining transparency and accountability.

The details

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the new accessibility rule in April 2024, giving state and local governments with populations over 50,000 an April 2026 deadline to comply. Smaller governments have until April 2027. Updates could include making content compatible with screen readers or adding subtitles to videos. Officials warn that some governments may choose to simply remove content rather than update it to avoid liability, even though that would reduce transparency. The North Dakota League of Cities has asked for state funding to help local governments comply, but the legislature only approved money for state agencies, not cities and counties.

  • In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the new accessibility rule.
  • Governments with a population over 50,000 face an April 2026 deadline.
  • Smaller governments have until April 2027 to comply.

The players

Matt Gardner

The executive director of the North Dakota League of Cities.

Corey Mock

The chief information officer of the North Dakota Information Technology department.

Sen. Brad Bekkedahl

A Republican from Williston and the chairman of the Joint Appropriations Committee.

Ron Gronneberg

The chief information officer for the city of Fargo.

Kalen Ost

A communication strategist involved in Bismarck's digital accessibility efforts.

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What they’re saying

“To comply with a federal law, the best way to do it is probably to delete portions of your website and remove documents.”

— Matt Gardner, Executive Director, North Dakota League of Cities (Foster County Independent)

“If it's that big of a liability issue, that's what I'd recommend my city to do. Is it detrimental to citizens? Absolutely. But this is a federal mandate. We didn't bring this on ourselves.”

— Sen. Brad Bekkedahl, Chairman, Joint Appropriations Committee (Foster County Independent)

“Websites will keep their base: hours of operation, 'here is where you can pay your water bill,' and some of those basics. (That's) maybe what these websites turn into.”

— Matt Gardner, Executive Director, North Dakota League of Cities (Foster County Independent)

What’s next

The North Dakota legislature approved $1.5 million in funding for state agencies to update their websites and apps, but did not provide additional money to help local governments comply with the new federal accessibility rules.

The takeaway

This situation highlights the tension between improving digital accessibility and maintaining government transparency. While the new federal rules aim to make government websites more inclusive, the potential removal of content to meet the deadlines could undermine public access to important information and records, particularly for smaller local governments with limited resources.