Section 508 requires federal agencies, organizations and vendors who contract with federal agencies to offer people with disabilities comparable access to the same information that is offered to someone without a disability.
Section 508 compliance ensures that accessibility
will not be a barrier to your audience.
Section 508 covers access to federal programs and services in regards to electronic and information technology. This law requires that alternative, accessible information technology be provided to disabled employees and members of the public (meaning, a system that can be operated in a variety of ways and does not rely on a single "sense or ability" of a user). The Section 508 standards are the technical requirements and criteria that are used to measure conformance with the law.
So in simple words, 508 compliance means that all users, regardless of disability status, can access technology. This usually means that online documents are compatible with assistive technology, such as screen readers.
In 1998 the US Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals. In February 2014 the US Access Board submitted this law for refresh or review with the revisions and terms of enforcement being slated for release by the end of 2015.
When the Access Board makes its decision about
refreshing Section 508 to increase its standards be more
applicable to the modern Web, accessibility requirements
for online Internet content are likely to increase.
It is of key importance to set up work flows that
can easily be expanded to incorporate ADA standards
now.
Why should this matter to me?
If you are a part of a federally funded industry, or if
your company has adopted these regulations, you must
provide equal accessibility to users with disabilities.
Many large companies have voluntarily chosen to be 508
Compliant and offer accessibility for their online
audience because they realize they are "place of
public accommodation".
Making online content accessible to people with
disabilities begins with voluntarily making files
compliant from your end.
More in depth information accessibility standards can be found on:
But who needs to be compliant now?
All federal agencies and institutions that receive
federal funding are required to be 508 Compliant.
This includes:
- Government agencies
- Government centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS)
- Federally funded non-profits
- Public higher education institutions
- Public K-12 schools
In this world full of technology if someone has a
disability, how do they utilize these technologies on a
daily basis like everyone else?
Section 508 compliance ensures that accessibility
will not be a barrier to your audience.