What is Section 508 compliance?
The term "Section 508" frequently refers to the Revised Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act. This Act mandates that the federal government acquire, develop, use, and maintain information and communication technology (ICT) that is accessible to individuals with disabilities, regardless of their employment status with the federal government.
Section 508 was enacted to dismantle barriers in ICT for people with disabilities. According to the law, federal agencies must offer their employees and the public with disabilities access to ICT that is comparable to the access available to others.
Therefore, Section 508 compliance signifies adherence to these accessibility requirements when procuring, creating, utilizing, and maintaining ICT. This ensures that ICT provides comparable access to people with disabilities. Generally, Section 508 compliance is achieved when federal agencies procure the most accessible electronic information technology (EIT) product or service that aligns with the agency's business needs.
How federal agencies procure the most accessible EIT product or service
Without a standardized method for documenting Section 508 compliance, producers or providers of EIT products and services might have created accessibility conformance reports based on their own interpretations of the Section 508 Standards. This could have made identifying the most accessible EIT products or services very challenging.
This challenge led to the development of the voluntary product accessibility template (VPAT) by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), in collaboration with the General Services Administration (GSA).
The VPAT is a self-disclosing, prototype document used to assess and document the accessibility of an EIT product or service. It adheres to established accessibility standards, specifically the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 and 2.1, the Revised Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act, and the European Union (EU) EN 301 549 Accessibility Standard.
The initial version of the VPAT was based on Section 508 guidelines, with subsequent versions incorporating WCAG requirements. For example, the VPAT 508 edition serves as the compliance certification VPAT, anchoring the criteria and technical standards for compatibility with Revised Section 508 requirements, as well as WCAG 2.0 or WCAG 2.1.
WCAG 2.0 is a universal, voluntary consensus standard for web content accessibility. It guarantees that web content is Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR). Its POUR model reflects the high-level principles that form the foundation of EIT accessibility.
WCAG 2.1 is an updated and expanded version of WCAG 2.0, addressing adaptive web page designs, mobile device usage, and associated barriers for users with low vision, mobility impairments, and cognitive disabilities.
Since the Section 508 VPAT edition also includes criteria and technical specifications for the accessibility of online EIT products and services, it is the ideal VPAT document for demonstrating Section 508 compliance for online businesses. You can review a Section 508 VPAT example to understand how it integrates the Revised Section 508 requirements and WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 requirements.
Section 508 compliance certification for online businesses
If your online business aims to sell products or services to the federal government, its agencies, or organizations receiving federal funding, you may need Section 508 compliance certification. It's important to remember that Section 508 applies to EIT published by federal agencies for public use, as well as EIT used by federal agency employees.
Examples of EIT that your online business might offer and wish to provide to federal agencies include internet and intranet websites, PDF documents, content on DVDs and CDs, online training, webinars, teleconferences, technical support call centers, remote access websites and tools, software and operating systems, and user guides for software and tools.
To avoid exclusion from federal procurement processes for these online business products and services, you will need Section 508 compliance certification. Here's how to achieve it:
- Understand what Section 508 is and what it covers
A crucial first step toward achieving compliance for your online business is comprehending Section 508. This includes studying accurately completed Section 508 VPAT examples, researching accessibility and technical requirements for Section 508 compliance, and examining VPAT Section 508 compliance statements from companies known for best practices in online business Section 508 compliance.
- Review and make reference to WCAG
Adhering to WCAG is the most effective way to ensure Section 508 compliance for your online business. Despite not being a legally enforceable regulation, WCAG is the international benchmark for web accessibility. In fact, WCAG 2.0 Level AA criteria are utilized to evaluate accessibility for Section 508 compliance certification for online businesses. You can learn more about various WCAG versions and conformance levels through regular expert publications about the VPAT.
- Conduct accessibility audits
Regularly assessing the accessibility of your online business's EIT products, services, and related digital assets against WCAG requirements is critical. Online business accessibility audits are formal assessments conducted by technical accessibility experts to identify any WCAG-compliant accessibility issues.
When performing accessibility audits for Section 508 compliance, use WCAG 2.1. This is because the U.S. Department of Justice frequently cites it as the appropriate standard in civil rights enforcement actions. Audits can be conducted using online accessibility checkers, manual testing, or a combination of both.
- Implement the actions to deal with the challenges flagged out by the audit
After an accessibility audit of your online business, the next step is to address or correct any identified accessibility problems. By engaging a reliable accessibility professional for your audit, you can receive guidance on prioritizing accessibility issues. This allows you to tackle the challenges that pose the most significant obstacles to an accessible user experience first.
- Train your staff members about accessibility
Training staff and other key personnel in your business to prevent future accessibility challenges is highly advisable. Such training should focus on best practices and the formalization of accessibility within your processes and procedures.
By training employees on accessibility, you can ensure that accessibility is built into your business's design and development processes by default, and that your online products and services are created with accessibility in mind. This will ultimately reduce future remediation work.
Get help with Section 508 compliance for your online business?
If you require assistance with Section 508 compliance for your online business, contact ADA Compliance Pros at (626) 486-2201, and an accessibility expert will gladly assist you.