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Section 508 Website Compliance

Section 508 Website Compliance Services

If you work with federal agencies or public-sector procurement, Section 508 website compliance is not optional. We help teams identify real accessibility barriers, map them to Section 508 accessibility standards, and move toward a Section 508 compliant website with clear priorities and practical fixes.

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Section 508 Website Compliance That Protects Contracts and Access

For businesses working with government and public sector buyers, achieving compliance with Section 508 for their websites is a mandatory requirement. Accessibility has direct implications on whether your website will be considered, approved, and trusted by the procurement buyer.

ADACP delivers Section 508 compliant websites with documented, measurable outcomes. We have developed a process to verify your web pages are navigable using only the keyboard, provide your web page content in a manner that is accessible to screen readers, provide adequate contrast between background and foreground colors, and create forms that do not confuse assistive technologies.

The end result of our services is a website that satisfies the procurement agencies' accessibility requirements, mitigates compliance risks, and provides evidence of your organization's measurable progress toward meeting those requirements.

  • Keyboard-navigable pages
  • Screen reader accessible content
  • Proper color contrast
  • Accessible forms & controls
  • Documented compliance evidence

Requirements We Evaluate and Remediate

In checking websites for Section 508 compliance, automated tools may be able to identify obvious compliance gaps fairly quickly; however, several compliance violations are not identified until the time of manual testing of real user paths through an organization's modern UI.

To provide a complete identification of compliance issues that will have a direct impact on usability, procurement reviews and legal exposure, ADACP utilizes both automated scanning and a manual process of validation of each element of an organization's web site as it relates to an organization's specific platform, risk level and business goals. As a result, ADACP documents a clear and concise remediation plan that improves usability, provides documentation in support of compliance verification, and will meet the requirements of formal evaluations.

Beyond Automated Scans

Most violations are only found through manual testing of real user paths.

Common Issues

Common Website Issues That Break Section 508 Compliance

01

Keyboard Access and Focus

Users must be able to reach and use every important control without a mouse. Focus should be visible and move in a logical order.

02

Navigation and Page Structure

Headings, landmarks, and layout patterns must support screen reader navigation and predictable browsing.

03

Forms, Errors, and Instructions

Inputs need proper labels, clear instructions, and error messages that users can perceive and fix without confusion.

04

Color Contrast and Visual Clarity

Text and key UI elements must be readable for low-vision users, not just "pretty" for a designer's monitor.

05

Images and Non-Text Content

Informative images need meaningful alternatives. Decorative assets should not add noise for assistive technology.

06

Dynamic UI Components (Menus, Modals, Tabs)

Interactive components must expose correct roles and states and behave properly with keyboard and screen readers.

Our Approach

Our Approach to Section 508 Website Compliance

1

Define scope

We identify critical templates, user paths, and stakeholder expectations.

2

Map to standards

Compare your site against Section 508 Web Accessibility Standards in actionable terms.

3

Prioritize findings

Your team gets a ranked list with criteria mappings and remediation direction.

4

Retest & verify

We re-check main areas after fixes to confirm improvement and catch regressions.

When Section 508 Website Compliance Is Usually Required

The Federal Digital Access Act (Section 508) applies to federal agencies; many of their contractors/vendors that create/develop the digital applications they use in day-to-day work; and public sector RFPs for digital services that include accessibility standards for vendors. So, if your web application is one of the tools you use to sell, onboard, support or deliver a service to government end-users, treating Section 508 compliance as one of your product standards will help protect both you and your customers from potential liability.

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FAQ

Common Questions About Section 508 Website Compliance

What is Section 508 compliance?
Section 508 compliance means digital content and technology are accessible to people with disabilities under U.S. federal accessibility requirements. For websites, this means removing barriers that prevent users from navigating, reading content, completing forms, or using core functionality with assistive technologies. In practice, compliance is evaluated against accessibility criteria aligned with WCAG standards and documented in a structured way.
Who is required to comply with Section 508?
Section 508 directly applies to U.S. federal agencies. It also affects contractors and vendors that provide digital products or services used by federal agencies. If your website is part of a government contract, procurement process, or federal program, accessibility may be reviewed as part of compliance requirements.
Is Section 508 part of the FDA?
No. Section 508 is not part of the FDA. Section 508 is a provision of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that governs accessibility of electronic and information technology used by federal agencies. It is a federal accessibility requirement, not a healthcare-specific regulation.
What are examples of Section 508 compliance issues?
Common Section 508 website compliance issues include: navigation that cannot be used by keyboard, missing labels on form fields, poor color contrast that makes text unreadable, buttons and controls that screen readers cannot interpret, and error messages that are not properly announced. These issues prevent users from completing tasks independently and are frequently identified during structured testing.
What does "508" stand for?
"508" refers to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It is simply the numbered section of the law that defines accessibility requirements for federal electronic and information technology.
What tools check Section 508 compliance?
Automated tools can scan for certain technical issues. However, tools do not confirm full compliance. They cannot validate keyboard usability, focus behavior, or real user flows. A reliable evaluation combines automated checks with manual accessibility testing.
How do you comply with Section 508?
Compliance typically involves: evaluating your website against applicable accessibility criteria, identifying barriers that affect usability, prioritizing and fixing high-impact issues, and re-testing to confirm improvements. For federal-facing websites, documentation and clear issue mapping are often required as part of procurement or internal review processes.
What digital assets need to be 508 compliant?
Section 508 applies to electronic and information technology used by federal agencies. For websites, that usually includes public-facing web pages, web applications and portals, online forms and workflows, and embedded media and interactive components. If digital content is used to deliver services to federal users, it may be subject to accessibility review.
What is the most common ADA or Section 508 website violation?
The most common accessibility failures include keyboard inaccessibility, missing form labels, improper heading structure, and low color contrast. These issues are not just technical errors. They directly prevent users from accessing information or completing tasks, which is why they frequently appear in audits and legal complaints.
If automated tools can flag issues, why do I need a Section 508 compliance service?
Automated tools are useful, but they only show part of the picture. They can flag surface-level errors like missing alt text or low color contrast. What they don't give you is context, priority, or clear technical direction. A structured Section 508 audit combines automated testing with manual review, keyboard validation, and assistive technology checks. Issues are mapped to applicable criteria, prioritized by user impact, and translated into clear, developer-ready remediation guidance.

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A practical explainer covering who Section 508 applies to, how it maps to WCAG and the Revised 508 Standards, and what federal procurement teams expect to see.

Section 508 Compliance 101

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