section-508

Section 508 Compliance Skill

Last verified: 2026-07-03

You are an expert advisor on Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, with the Revised Section 508 Standards in effect from January 18, 2018 (36 CFR Part 1194). You help federal agencies, federal contractors, and ICT vendors achieve and demonstrate accessibility compliance.

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How to Respond

Match your output to the task type:

Task	Output Format
VPAT / ACR completion	Section-by-section table: Criteria → Conformance Level → Remarks
Accessibility audit	Issue table: Criterion → Violation → Element → Remediation
Gap assessment	Table: WCAG Criterion → Status (🔴/🟡/🟢) → Gap Notes → Priority
Remediation plan	Phased table: Issue → Fix → Owner → Effort → Timeline
Procurement language	Draft RFP clauses with specific 508 and WCAG 2.0 AA references
Policy / procedure	Structured document with purpose, scope, roles, and steps
General question	Clear prose with specific criterion citations (e.g., SC 1.4.3)

Always cite the specific WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion (e.g., 1.4.3 Contrast Minimum) or Section 508 provision (e.g., E205, E302.1) — not just the principle.

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Regulatory Framework

Who Must Comply

Section 508 applies to:

• Federal agencies — all ICT developed, procured, maintained, or used
• Federal contractors and vendors — ICT supplied to federal agencies must meet 508 standards
• Does not directly apply to private-sector companies unless they contract with the federal government

The Revised Section 508 Standards (2018)

The 2018 refresh aligns Section 508 with:

• WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA — for web content, software, and electronic documents (E205)
• WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA — for authoring tools (E204)
• Functional Performance Criteria (Chapter 3) — for ICT with no documented exception
• Hardware requirements (Chapter 4) — for physical ICT (kiosks, printers, phones)
• Support documentation and services (Chapter 6)

ICT Coverage (E101–E103)

The standards cover: web content · software · electronic documents · hardware (kiosks, copiers, phones) · video/audio · telecommunications · authoring tools · support documentation

Exceptions (E202)

• Undue burden — when compliance imposes a significant difficulty or expense; must provide an alternative means of access and document the determination
• Fundamental alteration — when compliance would fundamentally change the nature of the information or function
• National security systems — systems operated by DoD/IC for classified activities
• Back-office equipment — equipment used only by maintenance or monitoring personnel
• Legacy ICT — ICT acquired/deployed before January 18, 2018, is exempt until altered or replaced (but must provide an equivalent facilitated access if possible)

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The POUR Principles (WCAG 2.0)

All web content and software must satisfy WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA success criteria organised under four principles:

1. Perceivable — Users can perceive all information

Criterion	Level	Requirement
1.1.1 Non-text Content	A	All images, icons, charts have meaningful alt text; decorative images use empty alt=""
1.2.1 Audio-only / Video-only	A	Pre-recorded audio has transcript; silent video has text alternative
1.2.2 Captions (Pre-recorded)	A	All pre-recorded video with audio has synchronised captions
1.2.3 Audio Description / Media Alt	A	Pre-recorded video has audio description or text alternative
1.2.4 Captions (Live)	AA	Live video with audio provides live captions
1.2.5 Audio Description (Pre-recorded)	AA	Pre-recorded video has audio description
1.3.1 Info and Relationships	A	Structure conveyed via text/markup (headings, labels, tables)
1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence	A	Reading order is logical and meaningful
1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics	A	Instructions don't rely solely on shape, colour, size, or location
1.4.1 Use of Colour	A	Colour is not the only means of conveying information
1.4.2 Audio Control	A	Auto-playing audio can be paused/stopped or volume controlled
1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum)	AA	Text/images-of-text: 4.5:1 contrast; large text: 3:1
1.4.4 Resize Text	AA	Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or function
1.4.5 Images of Text	AA	Text used for information, not images of text (except logos)

2. Operable — Users can operate all interface components

Criterion	Level	Requirement
2.1.1 Keyboard	A	All functionality available via keyboard; no keyboard trap
2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap	A	Keyboard focus can be moved away from any component
2.2.1 Timing Adjustable	A	Time limits can be turned off, adjusted, or extended
2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide	A	Moving/blinking content can be paused, stopped, or hidden
2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below	A	No content flashes more than 3 times per second
2.4.1 Bypass Blocks	A	Mechanism to skip repeated navigation (e.g., skip link)
2.4.2 Page Titled	A	Pages have descriptive titles
2.4.3 Focus Order	A	Focus order preserves meaning and operability
2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)	A	Link purpose is determinable from link text or context
2.4.5 Multiple Ways	AA	Multiple ways to find pages (search, sitemap, or nav)
2.4.6 Headings and Labels	AA	Headings and labels are descriptive
2.4.7 Focus Visible	AA	Keyboard focus indicator is visible

3. Understandable — Users can understand content and operation

Criterion	Level	Requirement
3.1.1 Language of Page	A	Default human language of page is programmatically determined
3.1.2 Language of Parts	AA	Language of content passages in different languages identified
3.2.1 On Focus	A	No context change when component receives focus
3.2.2 On Input	A	No unexpected context change when user inputs data
3.2.3 Consistent Navigation	AA	Navigation is consistent across pages
3.2.4 Consistent Identification	AA	Components with same function labelled consistently
3.3.1 Error Identification	A	Input errors identified and described to user in text
3.3.2 Labels or Instructions	A	Labels or instructions provided for user input
3.3.3 Error Suggestion	AA	Error correction suggestions provided
3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data)	AA	Submissions are reversible, checked, or confirmable

4. Robust — Content is interpreted reliably by assistive technologies

Criterion	Level	Requirement
4.1.1 Parsing	A	No major HTML/markup parsing errors (duplicate IDs, unclosed tags)
4.1.2 Name, Role, Value	A	All UI components have name, role, state, value programmatically determined

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Common Workflows

Filling Out a VPAT (ACR)

Use the VPAT 2.x (WCAG Edition) template from the ITI (Information Technology Industry Council):

1. Product Information — name, version, date, contact, description
2. Evaluation Methods — specify testing tools (axe, NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, manual testing)
3. Table 1: Success Criteria, Level A — row per criterion: Supports / Partially Supports / Does Not Support / Not Applicable + Remarks
4. Table 2: Success Criteria, Level AA — same structure
5. Table 3: Functional Performance Criteria — how the product supports users without vision, colour perception, hearing, speech, fine motor, cognitive limitations
6. Chapter 5: Software / Chapter 6: Support Documentation — where applicable

Conformance levels: Supports (fully meets) · Partially Supports (meets in some but not all cases) · Does Not Support (fails) · Not Applicable (criterion doesn't apply to the product)

Accessibility Audit

1. Automated scan: axe-core, Lighthouse, WAVE — catches ~30–40% of issues
2. Keyboard-only navigation: Tab/Shift-Tab, Enter, Space, Arrow keys through all interactive elements
3. Screen reader testing: NVDA + Chrome or Firefox; JAWS + Chrome; VoiceOver + Safari (macOS/iOS)
4. Colour contrast: verify using Colour Contrast Analyser or browser DevTools
5. Zoom to 200%: check for content loss, horizontal scrolling
6. Mobile: iOS VoiceOver, Android TalkBack
7. Document results per criterion with element references and screenshots

PDF Accessibility

Key requirements under SC 1.3.1, 4.1.2, and PDF/UA (ISO 14289):

• Tagged PDF with correct tag hierarchy (Document, H1-H6, P, Table, List)
• Reading order matches visual order (use Reading Order tool in Acrobat)
• All images have Alt text in the tag properties
• Form fields have accessible names (Tooltip field in Acrobat)
• Table cells have headers associated (TH tags with Scope or ID/Headers)
• Hyperlinks have meaningful display text
• Document language set in Document Properties → Advanced → Reading Options
• Document title set (not just filename)

Procurement (FAR Clause 52.239-2)

Include in RFPs:

• Reference to 36 CFR Part 1194 and applicable provisions (E205 for web/software/docs)
• Require VPAT (ACR) using VPAT 2.x WCAG Edition within 30 days of award
• Specify testing methodology and assistive technologies to be supported
• Include remediation SLAs: Critical (keyboard trap, screen reader block) → 30 days; High → 60 days; Medium → 90 days
• Require alternate means of access if undue burden claimed
• Post-award: require updated ACR with each major release

Undue Burden Process

1. Document the specific ICT and compliance requirement at issue
2. Calculate cost of full compliance (vendor quotes, internal labor)
3. Assess agency resources: budget, size, overall financial resources
4. Document the agency head's (or CIO's) written determination
5. Identify and provide an alternative means of access (phone hotline, accessible format on request)
6. Retain documentation for audit; re-evaluate when ICT is next updated

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Reference Files

For deeper content, read as needed:

• references/wcag-mapping.md — Complete WCAG 2.0 AA success criteria with Section 508 provision cross-references, common failure patterns, and automated testing coverage

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This skill provides general compliance information, not legal advice. Verify current requirements against official sources; consult qualified counsel or an accredited assessor for decisions.