Skip to main content
Print

Section 508 Requirements

What Is Section 508?

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 governs accessibility of information technology (IT) in the federal government. The law requires federal agencies and contractors to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. It (29 U.S.C. §794 (d) ) applies to all federal agencies and their contractors when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Under Section 508, agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable to the access available to others.

“Section 508 requires that all website content be accessible to people with disabilities. This applies to Web applications, Web pages and all attached files on the intranet, as well as, internet. […] Making content accessible to people with disabilities online begins with making files compliant from the start.”1

Why Make Assets Accessible?

  • Allows everyone including those with disabilities to access information
  • It is the LAW and ALL documents MUST be made accessible by being 508 compliant
  • Core 508 requirements can and should be integrated in the workflow from the beginning
  • Remediating a document is the process of making it 508 compliant and needs to be done on EVERY document

Basic Points Related to Section 508

Web content accessibility guidelines went into effect on June 5, 2018:

  • If information is conveyed with color, also convey it without color, such as from context or with an alternative indicator such as an asterisk (*)
  • Label each column and row in a table
  • Do not allow the screen to blink, flash, or flicker with a frequency greater than two hertz (Hz) or lower than 55 Hz
  • Create a text-only version, if needed, to make the content accessible
  • Embed all fonts in the original source document before a file is converted into a PDF
  • Allow functions to be performed from a keyboard (versus a mouse) and use appropriate language such as using the term "select" rather than "click"
  • Zip files are not a workaround for posting non-508 compliant PDFs and PowerPoints

Accessibility Online Resources

Below is a list of helpful online resources:

1Section 508. HHS.gov. https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508

Read more:

Web Standards