The Impact of 508 Compliance on User Experience and Engagement
508 compliance, which is the short form for Section 508 compliance, is a term used in reference to conformance with the requirement by Section 508 for digital products and services provided by or offered to federal organizations to be accessible for people with disabilities. It is frequently used to help provide guidelines to entities that both want and need their digital products and services to be accessible.
Before delving into what the impact of 508-compliance is on user experience and engagement, let’s ensure that everyone reading this article understands Section 508 and the 508-compliant design of digital products and services.
What is Section 508?
The question, “What is Section 508?” often lingers in the minds of many people who join the digital and accessibility space, as they may not have been accustomed to it in their previous disciplines. It is therefore essential to bring these individuals on board before delving into other facets of Section 508 compliance.
Section 508 is part of a 1998 amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It requires all federal agencies to procure, maintain, and use electronic information technology (EIT) that is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
What is the 508-compliant design of digital products and services?
508-compliant design of digital products and services refers to conformance to the established Section 508 compliance requirements when designing the products and services.
To ensure conformity with Section 508, the U.S. Access Board, which is an independent federal agency, develops and maintains standards that must be met to achieve Section 508 compliance and helps to deliver 508-compliant digital products and services.
How 508 compliance impacts user experience and engagement
Designing EIT products and services with 508 compliance requirements in mind is not just about meeting legal accessibility requirements or catering to the needs of users with disabilities. Rather, it is about creating inclusive and intuitive experiences that deliver benefits to every user of the EIT product or service. Some of the key impacts of 508 compliance on user experience and engagement are as follows:
(a) Usability
508-compliance precipitates accessibility, which, in turn, is a critical aspect of EIT product or service user experience and engagement design that has immense potential to lead to better usability of the product or service as well as unquestionable user satisfaction.
Usability, which is a key outcome of 508 compliance, is the degree to which an EIT product or service can be used by its intended users to effectively and satisfactorily achieve their goals. 508-compliance plays a significant role toward achieving better usability by removing barriers to access and enabling all users to engage with or interact with the product or service effortlessly.
(b) User-centric design of EIT products and services
508-compliance ensures that when EIT products and services are designed for accessibility, their designers consider the needs of users with various disabilities and how they will experience and engage with the product or service based on their state. This user-centric design of EIT products and services ends up benefiting all users, not just those with disabilities.
(c) User satisfaction
Designing EIT products and services to conform to Section 508 compliance requirements can also lead to better user satisfaction. Section 508 compliance helps to create inclusive experiences and engagements that enable the enhancement of satisfaction for all users.
For example, designing EIT products and services for users with visual disabilities by using high contrast and ALT text for images can make the content experiential and engagingly accessible for all users, including those with good vision. Similarly, when content is designed using simple language, clear navigation, and consistent design so as to cater for users with cognitive disabilities, it can end up helping all users to understand and navigate the product or service better.
(d) User retention
Section 508 compliance also has a positive impact on user retention. The accessibility delivered by 508-compliance not only helps to increase the number of users of a 508-compliant product or service by bringing on board those who were previously excluded, but also retains the existing users because of the delivered user experience.
Need assistance with designing your digital products for the user experience?
Designing your digital products and services for 508-compliance has impactful benefits for businesses or organizations, as well as for users of the products or services. It helps you create inclusive experiences by removing access barriers and enabling users to have an experiential and effortless interaction with the product or service.
If you need help designing 508-compliant products or services, ADACP can assist you with how to consider the needs of users with various disabilities so you can effectively design for accessibility. Discuss this with them by calling (626) 486-2201.