Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, is a federal law, codified as 29 U.S.C. § 701 et seq. The principal sponsor of the bill was Rep. John Brademas. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 replaces the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to extend and revise the authorization of grants to States for vocational rehabilitation services, with special emphasis on services to those with the most severe disabilities, to expand specia…
Full Answer
What do you need to know about Section 508?
Section 508 requires that the federal government procure, develop, use, and maintain information and communications technology (ICT) that is accessible to people with disabilities, regardless of whether or not they are employed by the federal government. Section 508 is a federal law that was passed in 1990. When was Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act passed?
How does Section 508 affect you?
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act - 29 U.S.C. § 798 SECTION 508 - ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (a) Requirements for Federal Departments and Agencies: (1) Accessibility: (A) Development, procurement, maintenance, or use of electronic and information technology: When developing, procuring, maintaining, or using electronic and information …
What's new in Section 508?
Dec 23, 2021 · Section 508 doesn’t only apply to federal agencies. It also impacts any organization that does business with a federal agency or receives federal funding. This includes private contractors, the financial industry, healthcare, many legal organizations, and others. Not sure if you need to be 508 compliant? Ask an expert.
What does Section 508 and ADA compliance mean?
Jan 18, 2022 · Section 508 Overview. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220) requires federal agencies to develop, procure, maintain and use information and communications technology (ICT) that is accessible to people with disabilities - regardless of whether or not they work for the federal …
What is Section 508?
Section 508 was made part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in 1998. Its purpose is to “…require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities.”. The refresh in January of 2017 updated accessibility guidelines and requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) ...
What are the federal guidelines for 508?
There are several laws related to Section 508, including laws that prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
What is 508 compliant?
Any and all digital communications that a company under Section 508 jurisdiction creates must be 508 compliant. This includes website content, emails, computer software, gaming systems, apps, and PDF versions of traditionally printed assets.
What are the three laws that prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities?
When talking about communications, the three most relevant related laws are: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Section 255 of the Communications Act: requires telecommunications products and services to be accessible to people with disabilities.
When was the ICT refresh?
The refresh in January of 2017 updated accessibility guidelines and requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) in the federal sector. It also updated guidelines for telecommunications and reorganized Section 508 and Section 255 guidelines to better align with and reflect recent communication technology innovations.
Does Section 508 apply to federal agencies?
Section 508 doesn’t apply to federal agencies only. It also impacts any company that does business with a federal agency. This includes private contractors, the financial industry, healthcare, many legal organizations, and others. If you’re not sure if you need to be 508 compliant, it’s best to ask an expert.
Is Section 508 compliant?
Achieving complete 508 compliance can be a complicated process to try and undertake on your own. Many people within an organization are responsible for documents and communications that fall under Section 508, as well as hiring or conducting business with contractors which must also be compliant. There are online assessment tools, but these are shortcut solutions.
What is Section 508 and 501?
Section 508 requires that the federal government procure, create, use and maintain ICT that is accessible to people with disabilities, regardless of whether or not they work for the federal government .
What is 501 a 501?
Section 501 covers Reasonable Accommodation for an individual with a disability who is either an applicant for a federal government job or already works for the federal government. Section 501 covers more than just ICT for people with disabilities.
Section 508 Requirements
On January 18, 2017, the United States Access Board published the final rule Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Standards and Guidelines in the Federal Register.
Best Practices
Involving Section 508 standards from the start of an IT project and testing during the development process will ensure that most potential Section 508 problems are already remediated by the time the project is ready for deployment.
Section 508 resources
The information listed below is intended solely as a small sampling of resources and tools available for users who create web content. There are also many other resources available by searching the internet, using applicable keywords.
Accessibility and Compliance
Accessibility - This term is used to describe the usability of EIT for persons with disabilities
EAS Section 508 Team
Our Enterprise Applications Services (EAS) Section 508 Team works closely with the USDA Section 508 Program Office to ensure quality and continuity in our testing efforts. We use the USDA Product Testing Template as a guide to determine and validate whether or not Section 508 requirements and accessibility are met.
Contact Information
For additional information about Section 508 compliance and accessibility or questions concerning our Section 508 compliance testing services, please contact Andrew.Campbell@usda.gov.
