Glossary term
Section 508 Accessibility
Section 508 is a US federal law requiring electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by federal agencies. And many federal grantees. To be accessible to people with disabilities, currently enforced through standards aligned with WCAG 2.0 AA.
Section 508 is a US federal law requiring electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by federal agencies. And many federal grantees. To be accessible to people with disabilities, currently enforced through standards aligned with WCAG 2.0 AA.
How Section 508 differs from WCAG
- WCAG is an international, multi-version standard published by W3C; Section 508 is US federal law that references a specific WCAG version.
- Section 508 currently aligns with WCAG 2.0 AA criteria (the “Revised 508 Standards” effective 2018), while many private-sector and state requirements have moved on to WCAG 2.1 AA or 2.2 AA.
- Section 508 carries procurement enforcement: federal agencies legally can’t buy non-compliant technology.
Who has to care
- Federal agencies and their direct contractors.
- Recipients of certain federal grants (especially Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services).
- Many state and local governments that have adopted Section 508 by reference.
- Universities and research institutions with federal funding.
How we handle it
Our default is WCAG 2.1 AA, which exceeds Section 508 in most areas. Where a Section 508 certification or specific VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is required, we produce it as part of the engagement. Documenting which standards apply and where the implementation meets or differs from them.