What is Section 508 Compliance? How to Avoid Common Pitfalls?

Things to Remember: Section 508 is a U.S. federal law requiring government agencies and their contractors to make all information and communication technology (ICT) accessible to people with disabilities. It mandates adherence to WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards and applies to websites, software, electronic documents, and multimedia.

What is Section 508 Compliance? 

Section 508 standard of the Rehabilitation Act 1973 requires all information and communication technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by the federal government to be accessible to people with disabilities. It applies to federal agencies and their contractors, covering websites, software, electronic documents, emails and multimedia, ensuring equal access to information for individuals with disabilities.

In 2017, the Access Board issued a significant update known as the "Section 508 Refresh," which expanded the scope of Section 508 standards to include a broader range of electronic documents and aligned U.S. accessibility requirements more closely with global standards, including WCAG 2.0 Level AA. Beyond legal obligation, Section 508 compliance drives better user experiences, encourages innovation, and reflects a genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Pro Tip - The Section 508 website provides a dedicated page on Section 508 compliance testing, including testing guidelines for websites, software and electronic documents.

Section 508 vs. ADA - What's the Difference?

Section 508 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are both U.S. laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities in the digital space, and they are frequently confused with each other. While they share the same underlying goal, ensuring equal access to information and services, they differ significantly in who they apply to, what technical standards they reference and how they are enforced. Many organizations assume that complying with one automatically satisfies the other. It does not. Here is a clear breakdown of how the two laws compare.

You can read more on ADA Title II here - https://www.barrierbreak.com/what-is-the-new-regulation-on-web-content-mobile-app-accessibility-under-ada-title-ii/

Section 508 Compliance - Why should it matter?

If you want to work with or do business with federal agencies, yes you need to be Section 508 compliant!

Some scenarios where Section 508 applies:

• You have an HRMS product, and you want to sell to a federal agency.
• You have an online survey service that a federal agency is using to gather data.
• You provide design services and develop Annual reports for a federal agency.
• You provide compliance training using an online platform that an education institute, which receives federal grants, is using.

Leverage our expertise in Section 508 standard testing to assist your organization in ensuring your technologies meet Section 508 Compliance.

How to Avoid Common Pitfalls While Achieving Section 508 Compliance

Commit to meeting Accessibility Requirements

Have you ever noticed an Accessibility Statement on a website and wondered what it is about? Well, having an accessibility statement on your website or an application demonstrates a strong commitment to accessibility and inclusion. Here’s why:

• Section 508 compliance shows the importance of accessibility and how it aligns with your organization’s goals and values.
• Along with an accessibility statement, having a dedicated accessibility page outlines your accessibility efforts. This page can have your accessibility statement, resources directing towards updates and improvements, and can even mention specific standards you are adhering to such as Section 508, ADA, WCAG 2.2, and other relevant guidelines.
• Section 508 compliance always helps to include a dedicated email address, phone number, or contact form for users to report accessibility issues or request accommodation. This facilitates an active feedback mechanism which can be used to make iterative improvements to your website, applications, and other digital content.

Implement accessibility requirements in your SDLC process

Achieving Section 508 compliance is a journey, not a destination. It requires a strategic approach and a dedicated commitment to accessibility. Developing and enforcing company-wide accessibility standards, ensuring that every project, regardless of scale, adheres to accessibility best practices is crucial. This can be done by:

• Including accessibility in the development lifecycle by including it in design, development, testing, and content creation processes.
• Setting measurable objectives aligned with Section 508 and WCAG 2.2 & 2.1.
• Talking to an accessibility expert and taking their lead will guide you towards ensuring Section 508 compliance of your websites, and other digital resources. They conduct regular accessibility audits throughout the development process and help you tackle the accessibility issues based on their priority.

Co-create an accessibility roadmap to ensure Section 508 Compliance  for your organization along with our team of accessibility experts, including users with disabilities, and gain real-world insights into the accessibility issues.

Create an accurate VPAT/ACR for your product

A VPAT is a standardized template that outlines the accessibility conformance of ICT products whereas an ACR is the representation of how the product meets Section 508 standards usually completed by using the VPAT template.

Now let’s answer why it is important to create an accurate VPAT/ACR for your product:

• While many organizations are looking to create VPATs, it is crucial to author an accurate and detailed VPAT for your product.
• This not only highlights your product's conformance level but also helps in ensuring a trouble-free purchase of your products by the federal government or other entities that require Section 508 compliance.
• Having an ACR adds credibility to the accessibility claims made in the VPAT by providing an external, expert evaluation.
• The feedback and recommendations from ACR can help vendors enhance the accessibility of their digital products, contributing to continuous improvement.
• This in turn not only shows commitment to accessibility and inclusion but also boosts buyers confidence in your product. They have a clear understanding of your product's accessibility features and limitations which helps them make informed decisions.
• It becomes a market differentiator for your product that shows strong Section 508 compliance. This can differentiate your product from competitors and help build customer trust.

Check out 5 benefits of working with a VPAT Consultant

Train your teams in understanding accessibility

"When you invest in people, you invest in the possibilities they bring." This statement is very true. Here’s how to go about it:

• Providing training for your team on accessibility best practices and focusing on both the technical and content creation aspects.
• Begin by assessing your team’s current knowledge of accessibility principles and requirements.
• Understand that different roles, developers, designers, content creators, QA testers, etc., will have different training needs and customize the training to focus on the aspects of accessibility accordingly.
• Regularly update training materials and provide refresher courses to keep the team informed about new developments in accessibility standards.
• Moreover, make accessibility training a standard part of your onboarding process for new hires, ensuring everyone starts with a solid foundation.
• Besides providing training, include hands-on sessions where teams can apply what they’ve learned to real-world scenarios, such as remediating an inaccessible page or creating an accessible design.
• Have teams regularly use assistive technologies like screen readers, to experience first-hand the challenges faced by users with disabilities.
• Encourage teams to seek professional certification like IAAP and WAS to understand accessibility better.
• Providing online courses, organizing webinars, maintaining up-to-date accessibility guidelines and resources that teams can easily access for reference also plays a crucial role in understanding accessibility.
• Lastly but more importantly, leadership should advocate for and support accessibility initiatives across all projects. Gaining buy-in from senior management to prioritize accessibility initiatives not only motivates employees but also fosters a sense of ownership and pride in inclusivity practices.

Communicate your accessibility commitment & implementation

Communicating your accessibility commitment is essential for building trust and transparency. Achieve this by:

• Leveraging FAQs to transparently communicate your organization's commitment to accessibility. This can include highlighting your adherence to WCAG 2.2 and 2.1 guidelines or mentioning any certifications or awards related to accessibility.
• If there are new features, updates or a new product launch, promote it by highlighting the accessibility aspects and how they benefit users with disabilities.
• Use inclusive language in your marketing materials that reflects your commitment to accessibility and inclusivity.
• Share case studies, testimonials, or success stories that demonstrate the positive impact of your accessibility efforts on users with disabilities.
• Prepare reports, like a VPAT, that demonstrate your organization’s commitment to accessibility and compliance with Section 508, which can be shared with stakeholders or used for internal assessments.
• If your organization is subject to specific legal requirements (e.g., Section 508), include compliance statements in relevant legal documents, contracts, and disclosures.
• Ensure that any third-party vendors or partners are aware of your accessibility standards and are contractually obligated to meet them.
• Regularly update your audience on the progress of your accessibility initiatives, such as improvements made, challenges faced, and future goals. This can be done through blog posts, newsletters, or social media updates.
• Engage with the community by participating in accessibility-related conversations and hashtags.

Join our BarrierBreak Partner Program and promote inclusion by empowering your clients to build accessibility into their digital solutions.

Conclusion

Committing and implementing accessibility requirements, creating a VPAT/ACR for your product, training your teams to understand accessibility and communicating your accessibility commitment brings you one step closer to making your digital content accessible to people with disabilities and remain Section 508 compliant. Remember, accessibility is an ongoing commitment.

Get in touch with us to know how you can comply to Section 508 & ADA and conform to accessibility standards of WCAG 2.2 & 2.1. Our 250+ team of accessibility experts will assist you in identifying the accessibility issues and provide a comprehensive audit report. Reach out to us on sales@barrierbreak.com