IT accessibility/Section 508

When federal agencies buy, build, maintain, or use Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that agencies must provide people with disabilities access to information comparable to the access available to others, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. This applies to both federal employees and members of the public. Additional information and guidance is available on section508.gov.

The Revised Section 508 Standards contain scoping and technical requirements for ICT to ensure accessibility and usability by individuals with disabilities. Compliance with these standards is mandatory for federal agencies.

GSA’s Office of Technology Policy (OTP) assists agencies in educating their employees about their responsibilities under Section 508 – supporting Section 508 program management across government and building the infrastructure necessary to support IT Accessibility and Section 508 implementation governmentwide. OTP is also responsible for annually assessing accessibility governmentwide, which results in a report to Congress with progress, recommendations, and future activities to help agencies improve the accessibility of agency electronic information and digital services.

Policy

• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. §794d)
• Reports on accessibility of electronic information to individuals with disabilities (29 U.S.C. §974d–1)
• About the Update of the Section 508 Standards and Section 255 Guidelines for Information and Communication Technology
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Final Standards and Guidelines, 36 CFR Parts 1193 and 1194, RIN 3014-AA37
• Federal Web Policy 12 - Ensure Accessibility for Individuals with Disabilities
• Learn more about IT Accessibility Laws and Policies

Implementation

• Section508.gov - Contains guidance and tools to help agencies buy, build and manage accessible technologies, content, and other digital products. The site also includes accessibility information for vendors selling technology solutions to the federal government.
• Accessibility Requirements Tool (ART) - ART helps federal agencies create solicitations and contracting documentation that complies with Section 508, to ensure that IT products and services the federal government procures are accessible to persons with disabilities.