Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
Was due , Section 508, compliance date for the Revised Section 508 Standards
Key facts
- Jurisdiction
- United States
- Sector
- Public sector
- Applies to
- U.S. federal agencies and the information and communication technology they develop, buy, maintain, or use. Vendors need to address the accessibility requirements in the federal procurement or contract they are supplying.
- Standard
- Revised Section 508 Standards, harmonized with WCAG 2.0 Level AA
- Dates
- : Compliance date for the Revised Section 508 Standards
What it requires
Federal agencies must make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Employees and members of the public with disabilities must get access to information that is comparable to what others get.
The Revised 508 Standards from the U.S. Access Board had a compliance date of January 18, 2018. They line up with WCAG 2.0 Level AA for web content and apply the same requirements to software and electronic documents.
Federal buyers usually ask vendors for an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), written on the VPAT template, that shows how a product measures up against the standards.
How it is enforced
Each federal agency handles complaints about its own technology through a formal Section 508 complaint process. Section508.gov, run by the General Services Administration, publishes the guidance that agencies and their vendors follow.
Sources
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