What Is Section 508?

The term "Section 508" refers to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and its updates, which serve as significant accessibility milestones by outlining the federal government of the United States' responsibility for accessibility.

Section 508 specifically prohibits discrimination based on a disability in federal programs, programs receiving government funding, and employment. In short, the law guarantees that people with disabilities have comparable access, as is the case for everyone else.

The information and communication technology that includes, among other things, websites, documents, printers, computers, and mobile software, is subject to the accessibility standards created to assist in the fulfillment of Section 508.

The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) and the General Services Administration (GSA) collaborated to develop a voluntary product accessibility guideline (VPAT) for use by vendors in documenting the accessibility of their ICT products and services.

The VPAT provides a common standard for reporting the accessibility of ICT products and services and enables federal organizations to conduct due diligence over accessible ICT products to procure.

VPAT Accessibility For Websites

The VPAT documents are filled out with information that illustrates how the associated ICT product or service complies with or doesn't comply with the set accessibility requirements.

For instance, the Section 508 VPAT edition provides both the website accessibility criteria and criteria in support of conformance with the Revised Section 508 Standard.

The VPAT accessibility for websites is embedded in all four editions of the VPAT template, namely, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) VPAT, which is used to document the accessibility of websites and other web-related applications; the Revised Section 508 VPAT, which is used to document accessibility conformance with the Revised Section 508 of the United States Rehabilitation Act; and the EN 301 549 European Union (EU) VPAT, which is used to document accessibility conformance withthe global market.

The Revised Section 508 Requirements For Websites

Reviewing a Section 508 VPAT example can helpyou understand the Section 508 requirements used in VPAT assessments for websites.The accessibility VPAT for Section 508 adheres to WCAG 2.0 or 2.1. Among some of the key features that Section 508 requires for websites are:

• Navigation and accessibility using the keyboard

• Alternative text for images

• Transcript or captions for videos and audios

• Screen reader capability

• Alternative text for videos

• No time limits

• Color and contrast

• Avoidance of flickering objects on the screen

Given that a sizeable portion of website visitors have learning, cognitive, and other types of disabilities, it can be quite difficult for them to use your site if it is inaccessible to them and doesn't meet their accessibility needs. Having a fully accessible and Section 508 compliant website makes business sense and is a best practice you should adhere to, whether or not your website is legally compelled to be so.

Need Help With Making Your Website Confirm To Section 508 Requirements?

Besides learning from a Section 508 VPATexample developed by a Section 508 accessibility expert, you cancall (626) 486-2201 to get help with making your website Section 508 compliant.