Section 508

Resources on Section 508

Tabular Comparison of the Previous FAR Text Against the 2021 Update —These FAR Council updates are effective as of September 10, 2021.
Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 39.2 - Information and Communication Technology —This subpart implements section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794 d), and the Architectural and Transportation Barriers …
How to Test Websites for Accessibility —Use both manual and automated testing methods to create accessible websites.
U.S. Access Board Section 508 Standards —The Section 508 Standard for Electronic and Information Technology requires that when a federal agency shares information digitally, …
Web Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) —The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) documents explain how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Web …

Tools and Services

Section508.gov —Guidance for Federal agencies on IT accessibility compliance.

News and Events on Section 508

34 posts

Accessibility Testing for onrr.gov

How do you make sure a website is accessible? This blog post outlines the four steps the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR - pronounced like "honor") at the U.S. Department of the Interior took to verify accessibility. — via DOI Revenue Data

Nov 21, 2022

Measuring and Justifying the Government Experience

Measuring and Justifying the Government Experience—Private sector organizations use revenue as the primary measurement to justify improving experiences. Many government services don’t have revenue as a lever, so how can we justify work to improve experience? The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) leveraged a few metrics on their team that fall into three categories: laws and regulations, improving the experience for users, and saving time for employees. — via DOI Revenue Data

Aug 19, 2022

New on Section508.gov: Integrating Accessibility into DEIA Implementation Plans

New on Section508.gov: Integrating Accessibility into DEIA Implementation Plans — Accessibility, the “A” in DEIA, is a foundation on which the federal workforce must build diversity, equity and inclusion for people with disabilities. Without accessibility, we cannot truly achieve the others.

The GSA Government-wide IT Accessibility Program has published “Integrating Accessibility into Agency Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Implementation Plans,” a guide designed to support the Accessibility roadmap outlined in the Government-wide Strategic Plan to Advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce. The guidance contained in this article is a preliminary step before offering broader updates to guidance and best practices materials to meet this objective.

— via Section508.gov

Dec 20, 2021

FAR Updated To Add Revised Section 508 Standards for Information and Communication Technology

FAR Updated To Add Revised Section 508 Standards for Information and Communication Technology—On January 18, 2017, the U.S. Access Board issued a final rule (the Revised 508 Standards) that updated accessibility requirements covered by Section 508 for Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Read more about the final FAR rule update and changes effective as of September 10, 2021. — via Section508.gov

Nov 02, 2021

Plain Language

Plain Language: Accessibility for Content

Come join us as we focus on concerns and opportunities shared by the Section 508 and plain language communities in Government!

Bethany Letalien

Katherine Spivey

Alex Wilson

Mar 10, 2021

How to Test Websites for Accessibility

How to Test Websites for Accessibility—Use both manual and automated testing methods to create accessible websites. — via Digital.gov

Jul 15, 2020

This Week's IDEA

Spring Cleaning Tips for Web Content

This week, we’re providing a few tips for tidying up redundant, outdated, and trivial content.

Ammie Farraj Feijoo

Apr 07, 2020

Introducing Accessibility for Teams

A quick-start guide for embedding accessibility and inclusive design into a team’s workflow.

Maya Benari

Jul 10, 2018

Learn About the Updated IT Accessibility Standards

Effective January 18, 2018, the revised 508 standards modernize the federal government’s IT accessibility standards and bring us into alignment with governments around the world.

Rachel Flagg

Jan 30, 2018

A Conversation With ITIF About the State of Federal Government Websites

Since it’s been nearly six months since their report was released, we wanted to check in with ITIF and see what they’ve learned, what they’ve heard from agencies and what their future plans are to build on this research.

Andrea Sigritz

Sep 20, 2017

Benefits of Accessible Design

According to the World Bank, approximately one billion people worldwide live with a disability, making up the world’s largest minority. Designing from an accessibility-first standpoint has the potential to benefit all stakeholders, not just people with disabilities, because accessible design typically delivers a better user experience. Currently many websites and digital platforms are inaccessible, which makes them difficult

Phillip Crawford

May 09, 2017

NASA’s Journey With the U.S. Web Design Standards

The U.S. Web Design Standards were created by the government, for the government. They’re currently implemented on hundreds of government sites, with an audience of more than 26 million monthly users. They’ve also been recommended by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for all government agencies to ensure a consistent look and feel of

Julia Elman

Mar 24, 2017

New ITIF Report Inspires a Closer Look at Website Performance and Security—Here Is Where to Begin

The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) recently published a report, Benchmarking U.S. Government Websites, that looks at the performance, security, and accessibility of the top 297 government websites. ITIF is a think tank in Washington, D.C. whose mission is to formulate, evaluate, and promote policy solutions that accelerate innovation in technology and public policy.

Digital.gov Team

Mar 24, 2017

Webinar Recap: Snaps and Stripes—Sharing Public Service Stories with Snapchat

What does Snapchat, the disappearing message-and-video platform most used by teenagers, have to do with government outreach and communications programs? Well, Snapchat has quickly become an incredibly effective digital storytelling medium, and content creators across multiple government agencies have adopted it as an important part of their programs. A recent New York Times article described

Lisa Bari

Sep 27, 2016

Celebrating the 18th Anniversary of the Section 508 Rehabilitation Act

August 8, 2016, marks the 18th anniversary of the amendment to the Section 508 Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which covers access to information technology in the federal sector. To recognize the importance of IT accessibility, we wanted to highlight some agency initiatives to improve accessibility across the federal landscape. As amended, the Act requires: …access

Alycia Piazza

Aug 15, 2016