A Step-by-Step Compliance Checklist for Section 508 Accessibility Requirements
What is Section 508 accessibility?
Section 508 accessibility is a term used in reference to the requirement under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act that all federal agencies ensure that their information and communication technology (ICT) is accessible to people with disabilities, unless certain exceptions apply.
If you are a federal agency, an organization that gets federal funding, or a service provider to federal or federally funded organizations, you need to comply with Section 508 compliance requirements.
At present, Section 508 compliance applies to software and online digital properties like websites and web-based applications, online documents, video and audio content, and social media posts. For Section 508 compliance, these must be able to be accessed and used by people with disabilities.
What is 508 compliance, and why does it matter?
Section 508 compliance is a requirement for ICT products and services to be accessible to people with disabilities. Compliance has been put in place to provide guidance to organizations that both want and need to be accessible.
The disabilities that ought to be accounted for when considering 508 compliance include physical disabilities, hearing disabilities, visual disabilities, and cognitive disabilities, among others.
There are a number of reasons why being Section 508 compliant is critical and helpful for federal organizations and the entities that receive federal funding or are contracted by federal agencies and federally funded organizations. Importantly, 508 compliance makes it easier for federal employees who have disabilities to do their work effectively because it helps to remove the technical barriers that would otherwise impede their work.
Section 508 compliance also helps to ensure that ICT that is made available benefits a substantial number of people who would otherwise be unable to access it. It therefore ensures that people with disabilities are able to access the information they need, complete tasks, or undertake purchases online, just like anyone else.
Section 508 compliance is also important because it protects an entity from the threat of facing legal action. This means that adhering to the Section 508 compliance requirements can provide business owners with the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their businesses or organizations are doing what is expected of them in the eyes of the law.
Section 508 compliance checklist
Section 508 of the compliance checklist covers ICT products and services governed by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the accessibility requirements articulated in the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT).
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The guidelines are one of the most treasured checklists when it comes to matters of web accessibility. WCAG also contains instructions regarding how to configure other online content, such as videos and online documents, so as to make them accessible to people with disabilities.
Conformance to the WCAG accessibility requirements is at three levels: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. Level A has the most elementary accessibility requirements, while Level AA is the conformance level referenced in many accessibility rules and regulations worldwide. Level AAA is the most advanced accessibility level and contains requirements that are hardest to attain.
For your website or web-based product or service to be Section 508 compliant, it must conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA. To conform to this level of accessibility, the ICT product or service must meet the requirements of completing and updating a VPAT that contains the appropriate checklist.
For websites and web-based products and services, the checklist requires that you provide text alternatives for non-text content, alternatives to video-only and audio-only content, captions for videos with audio, as well as ensuring a high contrast between text sections and their backgrounds.
The checklist list also requires one to define the language used on a web page, ensure all website functionality is operable via keyboard, and ensure that when website visitors are met with time limitations, the time limit can be adjusted. It also has requirements that provide for minimization of distractions, allowing website visitors to turn off or postpone interruptions, and the need to ensure the site has no flashing content that could induce seizures, among others.
Need more information and help with 508 compliance-accessible websites?
ADACP readily provides information and helps with 508 compliance-accessible websites. You can reach them by calling (626) 486-2201 to arrange a free consultation or request a quick website Section 508 compliance quote.