Rhode Island has an official statewide web accessibility policy published via RI.gov under the Information Resources Management Board (Public Access Policies approved Dec 18 1997; Universal Website Accessibility policy approved Jan 21 1999), administered within the Division of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Services (ETSS / DoIT / OLIS) of the Department of Administration. That policy requires Rhode Island state websites to meet the W3C 'Priority 1 Checkpoints' (an outdated WCAG 1.0-era standard); no official source was found adopting a current, binding statewide WCAG 2.x Level AA standard, so the controlling modern standard is the federal ADA Title II rule (WCAG 2.1 Level AA, due Apr 26 2027 / Apr 26 2028). Rhode Island has no digital-accessibility-specific penalty statute, but its general Civil Rights of People with Disabilities Act (R.I. Gen. Laws Ch. 42-87) incorporates the ADA and provides a private right of action: under Sec. 42-87-4 a person with a disability may sue in superior court for equitable relief and compensatory and/or punitive damages, subject to first letting the RI Commission for Human Rights act (60-day gate). There is no fixed per-violation fine, and Rhode Island is not listed on the federal Section508.gov state policy directory.

What the law requires

• Responsible agency Division of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Services (ETSS), a division of the RI Department of Administration, which contains the Office of Information Technology (DoIT), the Office of Digital Excellence, and the Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS); per the official ETSS page (https://etss.ri.gov/overview/enterprise-technology-strategy-and-services-etss) OLIS 'oversees the growth of digital and web services' for the state, and the statewide web accessibility policy is published via RI.gov (https://www.ri.gov/resource/accessibility/) under the authority of the Rhode Island Information Resources Management Board (IRMB). General disability civil-rights claims are separately channeled through the RI Commission for Human Rights per R.I. Gen. Laws Sec. 42-87-4. (ri.gov/resource/accessibility/) (opens in new tab)
• Adopted standard The statewide web policy at RI.gov requires that 'All Rhode Island state Websites must be accessible according to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Priority 1 Checkpoints' (WCAG 1.0-era / outdated); it does not, per the official page text, adopt WCAG 2.0/2.1 Level AA or Section 508.
• Who it covers The statewide web policy applies, by its own terms, to all Rhode Island state government websites ('All Rhode Island state Websites must be accessible ...'). R.I. Gen. Laws Ch. 42-87 broadly prohibits disability discrimination and incorporates ADA protections; combined with federal ADA Title II this practically reaches state agencies, public higher education, and local government. The RI.gov web policy does not by its own terms bind local governments or private vendors.
• Private right of action Yes - but via a GENERAL disability civil-rights statute, NOT a digital-accessibility-specific provision. R.I. Gen. Laws Sec. 42-87-4 (text verified at webserver.rilegislature.gov) provides that 'Any person with a disability who is the victim of discrimination prohibited by this chapter' may bring an action in superior court. Procedural gate: a claimant whose action is within the jurisdiction of the Commission for Human Rights (under chapter 5 of title 28, chapter 24 of title 11, or chapter 37 of title 34) may not sue under this section unless the Commission has failed to act within sixty (60) days of filing or has issued a final order. The IRMB/RI.
• Statutory damages / penalties No fixed per-violation statutory-damage schedule. R.I. Gen. Laws Sec. 42-87-4 (verified at webserver.rilegislature.gov) authorizes an action for 'equitable relief, compensatory and/or punitive damages or for any other relief that the court deems appropriate.' Punitive-damages exposure is therefore available under this general disability civil-rights statute, though no per-violation dollar amount is set. Attorney's fees are not mentioned in Sec. 42-87-4. ADA Title II claims separately allow injunctive relief and compensatory damages but not punitive damages against public entities under federal law.
• Governing authority Statewide web accessibility policy published at https://www.ri.gov/resource/accessibility/ and approved by the RI Information Resources Management Board (IRMB) (Public Access Policies approved Dec 18 1997; Universal Website Accessibility policy approved Jan 21 1999, per the RI.gov accessibility page). General disability civil-rights statute that supplies the enforcement teeth: R.I. Gen. Laws Title 42, Chapter 42-87 ('Civil Rights of People with Disabilities,' verified against the official rilegislature.gov chapter index), in particular Sec. 42-87-1 (definitions, which incorporate 'any disability that is provided protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq., and federal regulations') and Sec. 42-87-4 ('Civil liability'). Federal ADA Title II (28 CFR Part 35) provides the controlling modern baseline.

Official sources:
ri.gov/resource/accessibility/ (opens in new tab)
etss.ri.gov/overview/enterprise-technology-strategy-and-services-etss (opens in new tab)
gcd.ri.gov/title-ii-state-local-government/state-local-government-accessibility (opens in new tab)
governor.ri.gov/executive-orders/executive-order-24-06 (opens in new tab)
webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE42/42-87/INDEX.htm (opens in new tab)
webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE42/42-87/42-87-1.htm (opens in new tab)
webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE42/42-87/42-87-4.htm (opens in new tab)
section508.gov/manage/laws-and-policies/state/ (opens in new tab)

Not legal advice. Informational summary compiled from the official sources cited above, last verified 2026-06-08. Requirements change; confirm against the primary source before relying on it. Federal ADA Title II applies regardless of state law (WCAG 2.1 Level AA; compliance April 26, 2027 for entities of 50,000+ population, April 26, 2028 for smaller entities and special districts). See all states.