Patients, caregivers and community members rely on websites, microsites, forms, PDFs and mobile content to find care, understand services, register for events, access resources and take the next step.
If that information is hard to navigate, read or use, it can delay action, create frustration and limit access to care.
That is why healthcare organizations should review digital accessibility now, while there is time to assess current sites, prioritize fixes and strengthen how content is maintained.
Federal requirements are also bringing more attention to how organizations structure, publish and maintain digital content. The Department of Justice has updated ADA Title II web and mobile accessibility compliance timing for state and local government public entities, with timelines now moving into 2027 and 2028 depending on entity size. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has also extended the compliance timeline for Section 504 web and mobile accessibility requirements for recipients of HHS federal financial assistance.
The added time matters. It gives organizations room to assess, plan and prioritize. It should not create a reason to wait.
What healthcare organizations should be asking
At GAVIN, we are fielding more questions from healthcare, nonprofit and community-based organizations about what digital accessibility means for their websites and content systems.
The questions are practical:
- How does this apply to us?
- What needs to be reviewed?
- How much work would remediation require?
- What can our team manage internally?
- How do we avoid creating the same issues again later?
Those are the right questions. Accessibility is shaped by how a site is built, but it is also affected by how content is added, edited and maintained over time.
A website can be built with accessibility in mind and still become harder to use over time if new pages, posts, PDFs or forms are added without consistent content practices.
Where to start
The most practical starting point is to understand what exists today.
For most organizations, that means reviewing the current website, microsite or key digital properties, then separating findings into what needs to be fixed globally and what needs to be addressed at the page or content level.
At GAVIN, our process typically includes:
- Running an accessibility audit of the current site and microsite.
This helps identify issues that may affect usability, structure, navigation, design, content formatting and key user pathways.
- Separating findings into global/template issues and page-specific issues.
Some fixes may live in the site structure, templates or code. Others may be tied to individual pages, images, documents, forms or formatting choices.
- Scoping remediation based on what is actually on the sites today.
The plan should reflect the real digital footprint, highest-priority content and areas that carry the most user impact.
- Training the team responsible for future updates.
A short training can help content editors understand best practices for headings, links, alt text, PDFs, page structure and other common updates that affect accessibility over time.
This approach gives organizations a realistic path forward by clarifying what needs technical remediation, what can be improved through content updates and what practices should be strengthened to help maintain accessibility over time.
What to review now
Healthcare organizations do not need to solve everything at once. A strong first step is to focus on the digital content people rely on most often.
That may include:
- websites and microsites
- high-priority patient-facing pages
- appointment, registration or contact pathways
- PDFs and downloadable resources
- forms
- mobile experiences
- campaign landing pages
- content that is updated often
Organizations should also confirm legal and compliance obligations with the appropriate advisors. Applicability can depend on structure, funding, size and digital properties.
For healthcare organizations, this work is about making sure people can use the information they are being asked to trust.
If you are unsure where to begin, start with a clear review of what exists today. GAVIN can help assess your website, microsite or digital content system, identify priority areas and outline a practical path forward for remediation and ongoing content maintenance. Contact us today.
