Section 508 Compliance Checker

Q: What is the difference between Section 508 and ADA?

Section 508 is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and applies specifically to federal agencies and organizations that receive federal funding or build technology for the government. The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is a broader civil rights law that applies to private businesses, state and local governments, and other places of public accommodation. Both ultimately point to the same technical standard (WCAG 2.1 Level AA) for web accessibility, but they differ in scope, enforcement mechanisms, and who must comply.

Q: Does Section 508 apply to my business?

Section 508 applies if you are a federal agency, a contractor or subcontractor building information and communication technology (ICT) for the federal government, or an organization receiving federal funding. If you sell software, build websites, or provide digital services to any federal agency, your deliverables must meet Section 508 standards. Private businesses that don't work with the federal government are not directly subject to Section 508, though they may be subject to the ADA which references the same WCAG standards.

Q: What are the Section 508 technical requirements?

Since the 2017 Section 508 Refresh, the technical requirements align with WCAG 2.0 Level AA for web content. This includes requirements for perceivable content (text alternatives, captions, sufficient contrast), operable interfaces (keyboard accessibility, no seizure-inducing content), understandable information (readable text, predictable navigation, input assistance), and robust markup (compatible with assistive technologies). Section 508 also covers non-web ICT including software, hardware, and electronic documents.

Q: Is WCAG 2.1 required for Section 508?

The 2017 Section 508 Refresh formally incorporated WCAG 2.0 Level AA, not WCAG 2.1. However, WCAG 2.1 is backward-compatible with 2.0, meaning that meeting WCAG 2.1 AA also satisfies the WCAG 2.0 AA requirements in Section 508. Many federal agencies have begun adopting WCAG 2.1 as their internal standard because it addresses additional accessibility needs, particularly for mobile devices and users with cognitive disabilities. Meeting WCAG 2.1 AA is considered best practice even if not yet formally required.

Q: How do I make my website Section 508 compliant?

Start by running an automated accessibility scan to identify WCAG violations. Fix critical issues first: missing alt text, insufficient color contrast, unlabeled form fields, keyboard navigation problems, and missing document language. Then address manual testing requirements: verify screen reader compatibility, check logical tab order, ensure all functionality works without a mouse, and test multimedia for captions and audio descriptions. Create a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) documenting your conformance level. Set up ongoing monitoring to catch regressions.

Q: What happens if my website isn't Section 508 compliant?

For federal agencies, non-compliance can result in formal complaints filed with the agency, investigations by the Department of Justice, and corrective action requirements. For contractors, non-compliance can lead to contract termination, exclusion from future procurements, and reputational damage. Federal employees and members of the public can file administrative complaints about inaccessible ICT. Unlike the ADA, Section 508 does not provide a private right of action for lawsuits, but the DOJ can bring enforcement actions and agencies can impose contractual penalties.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies and their contractors to make electronic content accessible. Test your site against the standard.

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What is Section 508?

Section 508 is an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, originally enacted in 1998 and significantly updated in 2017. It requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities. That includes websites, web applications, documents, software, hardware, and any other information and communication technology (ICT) that federal employees or members of the public need to use.

The law's reach extends beyond federal agencies themselves. Any organization that builds technology for the federal government, receives federal funding, or provides digital services under a federal contract must also meet Section 508 standards. If you're a contractor building a website for a federal agency, that website must be accessible. If you sell software to the government, that software must be accessible. If you receive a federal grant and use it to build a public-facing digital tool, that tool must be accessible.

For most of its history, Section 508 had its own technical standards that were separate from WCAG, the international web accessibility standard. That changed in 2017 when the U.S. Access Board issued the "Section 508 Refresh," which aligned the federal standard with WCAG 2.0 Level AA. This was a significant shift because it meant the same technical criteria used for ADA compliance now applied to federal accessibility requirements. Organizations that already met WCAG 2.0 AA were largely compliant with the refreshed Section 508 standards.

Who must comply with Section 508?

The scope of Section 508 is narrower than the ADA but deeper within its domain. While the ADA broadly covers private businesses, Section 508 specifically targets the federal technology ecosystem. Understanding whether it applies to you depends on your relationship with the federal government.

Federal agencies are the primary subject of Section 508. Every department, bureau, office, and independent agency in the federal government must ensure that all ICT they develop, procure, maintain, or use is accessible. This covers everything from public-facing websites to internal tools used only by federal employees. The General Services Administration (GSA) oversees government-wide implementation and provides guidance through Section508.gov.

Government contractors and subcontractors must deliver accessible products when their contracts involve ICT. If you're building a website, developing an application, or providing a SaaS platform for a federal agency, Section 508 requirements flow into your contract. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) includes specific clauses requiring ICT accessibility, and agencies increasingly require a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) as part of the procurement process.

Federal grantees are also covered. Organizations receiving federal financial assistance must ensure that technology purchased or developed with those funds meets accessibility standards. This affects universities, nonprofits, state agencies, and research institutions that receive federal grants.

Private businesses that don't interact with the federal government are not directly subject to Section 508. However, many private-sector organizations adopt Section 508 as a benchmark because it provides a clear, well-documented standard. And if your business serves customers who include government employees accessing your site from federal networks, the practical distinction matters less than you'd think.

Section 508 vs ADA: what's the difference?

Section 508 and the ADA both require accessibility, but they come from different laws, apply to different entities, and use different enforcement mechanisms. Understanding the distinction matters because the obligations and consequences differ depending on which law applies to you.

The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is a broad civil rights law enacted in 1990. Title III of the ADA requires that "places of public accommodation" be accessible to people with disabilities. Courts have interpreted this to include websites, meaning virtually any business with a public website can face an ADA claim. The ADA provides a private right of action: individuals can file lawsuits directly against businesses, and in some states (notably California and New York), they can recover statutory damages. This is what drives the volume of ADA web accessibility lawsuits.

Section 508 is narrower in scope but more prescriptive. It applies specifically to federal agencies and their technology supply chain. Unlike the ADA, Section 508 does not provide a general private right of action for web accessibility claims. Instead, enforcement happens through administrative complaints, DOJ investigations, and contractual remedies. A federal employee who encounters an inaccessible internal tool can file a complaint with the agency. A member of the public who can't use a government website can file a complaint that triggers an investigation.

Where the two laws converge is on the technical standard. Both effectively point to WCAG as the benchmark for what "accessible" means. Section 508 formally incorporated WCAG 2.0 Level AA in its 2017 refresh. ADA lawsuits and DOJ guidance overwhelmingly reference WCAG 2.1 Level AA. The practical result is that if you meet WCAG 2.1 AA, you're well positioned for compliance under both laws.

The 2017 Section 508 Refresh

The original Section 508 standards from 2000 were technology-specific and quickly became outdated. They prescribed requirements for different types of technology (web, software, hardware, multimedia) using criteria that didn't keep pace with how technology evolved. By the early 2010s, the standards were widely recognized as insufficient for modern web applications, mobile platforms, and cloud-based software.

The U.S. Access Board spent years developing updated standards, finally issuing the "Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Final Standards and Guidelines" in January 2017. This refresh made several major changes.

First, it replaced the technology-specific approach with a functional, outcome-based framework. Instead of separate criteria for "web" vs "software" vs "hardware," the refreshed standards define functional performance criteria that apply across all types of ICT.

Second, it incorporated WCAG 2.0 Level AA by reference for web content and web applications. This meant federal agencies and their contractors could use the same globally recognized standard rather than a separate federal-specific set of criteria. It also simplified compliance for international organizations that already followed WCAG.

Third, it added requirements for authoring tools, real-time communication, and electronic documents that weren't adequately covered in the original standards. PDF accessibility, in particular, became a more explicit focus area.

The 2017 refresh also harmonized Section 508 with the European standard EN 301 549, which similarly incorporates WCAG. This means a product that meets the refreshed Section 508 standards is largely compliant with European accessibility requirements as well, reducing the burden for global technology vendors.

How to test for Section 508 compliance

Testing for Section 508 compliance follows the same general approach as WCAG testing, with some additional considerations for non-web ICT. For websites and web applications, the testing process combines automated scanning with manual evaluation.

Automated scanning catches the most common and easily detectable violations. Missing alt text on images, insufficient color contrast, form inputs without labels, missing document language, empty links and buttons, and broken heading structure are all reliably detected by automated tools. These account for the bulk of issues found in Section 508 audits. The scan on this page runs these same checks against your website.

Keyboard testing verifies that every interactive element on your site can be reached, operated, and navigated using only a keyboard. Tab through the entire page. Can you reach every link, button, form field, and menu item? Is the tab order logical? Can you open and close modal dialogs? Can you operate dropdown menus, accordions, and carousels? Are there any keyboard traps where focus gets stuck?

Screen reader testing confirms that content is properly announced to users of assistive technology. Test with at least one screen reader (NVDA on Windows, VoiceOver on Mac). Verify that all images have meaningful alt text, all form fields are properly labeled, all headings create a logical document outline, and all dynamic content changes are announced.

Document accessibility is a Section 508 requirement that goes beyond typical web testing. PDFs, Word documents, spreadsheets, and presentations published on federal websites must also be accessible. This means proper heading structure, alt text for images, tagged content for reading order, and accessible tables with header associations. Document accessibility is one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of Section 508 compliance.

Consequences of non-compliance

The consequences of failing to meet Section 508 standards depend on your role in the federal technology ecosystem.

For federal agencies, non-compliance can trigger formal complaints from employees or members of the public, investigations by the agency's own Office of Civil Rights or the DOJ, and corrective action plans. Agencies can face public scrutiny through congressional inquiries and Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports. The DOJ publishes findings of its investigations, which can be reputationally damaging. In severe cases, agencies may be required to undergo independent accessibility audits and implement remediation under DOJ oversight.

For contractors, the stakes are more immediately tangible. Failure to deliver accessible ICT can result in contract modifications requiring remediation at the contractor's expense, rejection of deliverables, negative past performance evaluations (which affect future bids), and in severe cases, contract termination. Increasingly, agencies require VPATs during the procurement process and will exclude products that don't demonstrate adequate conformance. Losing a federal contract over Section 508 compliance is not hypothetical; it happens.

For grantees, non-compliance can jeopardize federal funding. Grant agreements increasingly include accessibility requirements, and failing to meet them can result in corrective action requirements, funding holds, or clawback provisions.

Beyond formal enforcement, there is a practical cost. Federal agencies buy an enormous amount of technology. Being known as a vendor that can't deliver accessible products closes a massive market. Conversely, demonstrating strong Section 508 compliance through a well-documented VPAT and a track record of accessible deliverables is a genuine competitive advantage in federal procurement.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Section 508 and ADA?

Section 508 applies specifically to federal agencies and organizations that build technology for or receive funding from the federal government. The ADA is a broader civil rights law that applies to private businesses, state and local governments, and other places of public accommodation. Both point to WCAG as the technical benchmark for web accessibility, but they differ in enforcement. The ADA allows private lawsuits, which is why it generates thousands of web accessibility cases per year. Section 508 is enforced through administrative complaints, DOJ investigations, and contractual remedies rather than private litigation.

Does Section 508 apply to my business?

If you build technology for federal agencies, sell software to the government, or receive federal funding, then yes. Section 508 requirements flow into federal contracts through the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and agencies increasingly require a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) demonstrating your product's conformance level. If you have no relationship with the federal government, Section 508 does not directly apply to you, though the ADA likely does if your business has a public-facing website.

What are the Section 508 technical requirements?

Since the 2017 refresh, Section 508 incorporates WCAG 2.0 Level AA for web content. This includes four categories of requirements: perceivable (text alternatives for images, captions for video, sufficient color contrast), operable (keyboard accessibility, no seizure-inducing animations, navigable structure), understandable (readable content, predictable behavior, input assistance), and robust (compatible with assistive technologies, valid markup). Beyond web content, Section 508 also covers software applications, electronic documents, hardware, and real-time communication tools.

Is WCAG 2.1 required for Section 508?

Not formally. The 2017 Section 508 Refresh incorporated WCAG 2.0 Level AA, and that remains the current legal requirement. However, WCAG 2.1 is backward-compatible with 2.0, so meeting WCAG 2.1 AA automatically satisfies the 2.0 requirements in Section 508. Many federal agencies have adopted WCAG 2.1 as their internal target because it addresses additional accessibility needs for mobile users and people with cognitive disabilities. Meeting WCAG 2.1 AA is considered best practice and positions you well for future updates to the Section 508 standards.

How do I make my website Section 508 compliant?

Start with an automated scan to identify the most common violations: missing alt text, insufficient contrast, unlabeled forms, keyboard navigation issues. Fix those first because they represent the majority of findings in Section 508 audits. Then do manual testing: navigate your entire site by keyboard, test with a screen reader, and verify all interactive elements work without a mouse. Don't forget document accessibility. Any PDFs, Office documents, or presentations on your site also need to meet accessibility standards. Finally, create a VPAT documenting your conformance level and set up ongoing monitoring to catch regressions.

What happens if my website isn't Section 508 compliant?

For federal agencies, non-compliance can trigger administrative complaints, DOJ investigations, and mandatory corrective actions. For contractors, it can mean contract modifications at your expense, rejected deliverables, negative past performance evaluations, or contract termination. For grantees, it can jeopardize federal funding. Unlike the ADA, Section 508 does not generally provide a private right of action for lawsuits. But the practical consequences (losing contracts, negative evaluations, DOJ scrutiny) can be just as costly. Demonstrating compliance through a strong VPAT is increasingly a competitive requirement in federal procurement.

Check your website's Section 508 compliance right now. Free scan, instant results.

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