Section 508 Compliance Testing
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies and their contractors to make electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Learn who must comply, how it relates to WCAG, and how to test your website.
What is Section 508?
Section 508 is a provision of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, that requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities. This includes websites, web applications, software, documents, multimedia content, and hardware.
In January 2017, the U.S. Access Board published the “ICT Refresh” — a major update to Section 508 standards that replaced the original 2001 technical requirements with a direct incorporation of WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA success criteria for web content. This means that if your website meets WCAG 2.0 AA, it meets the web content requirements of Section 508.
However, best practice is to test against WCAG 2.2 AA rather than the minimum 2.0 standard. WCAG 2.2 is backward-compatible, so meeting 2.2 AA automatically satisfies the 2.0 AA requirements of Section 508. Federal agencies are also expected to exceed the minimum where practical, per OMB guidance.
Who must comply with Section 508?
Section 508 applies to a broader range of organizations than many people realize:
- Federal agenciesAll departments and agencies of the U.S. federal government must ensure their websites, applications, documents, and other ICT are accessible.
- Federal contractors and vendorsAny company that sells products or services to the federal government must ensure those products meet Section 508 standards. This is typically enforced through procurement requirements in federal contracts.
- Organizations receiving federal fundingState agencies, universities, nonprofits, and other organizations that receive federal grants or funding are generally required to meet Section 508 standards for the programs those funds support.
- State and local government (indirectly)While Section 508 applies directly to the federal level, many state and local governments have adopted equivalent standards. Additionally, Title II of the ADA covers state and local government websites.
If you are unsure whether Section 508 applies to you, the simplest test is: does your organization do business with or receive money from the U.S. federal government? If yes, Section 508 likely applies. Even if it does not, your website is still subject to ADA compliance requirements.
Section 508 vs WCAG
People often confuse Section 508 and WCAG or treat them as interchangeable. While they are closely related since the 2017 refresh, there are important differences:
| Aspect | Section 508 | WCAG |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Federal agencies and organizations receiving federal funding | Any website or web application globally |
| Legal basis | Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (amended 2017) | Referenced by ADA, EN 301 549, and other laws worldwide |
| Technical standard | Incorporates WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA since the 2017 refresh | WCAG 2.2 is the latest version (October 2023) |
| Enforcement | Federal procurement complaints, agency audits, and lawsuits | Varies by jurisdiction (ADA lawsuits, regulatory fines, etc.) |
| Applies to | Websites, software, hardware, documents, multimedia, and telecom | Web content specifically (pages, web apps, documents) |
The key takeaway: Section 508 is a law that references WCAG as its technical standard for web content. WCAG itself is a set of guidelines, not a law. When you test against WCAG 2.2 AA with ADAfriendly, you are effectively testing for Section 508 web content compliance as well.
How to test for Section 508 compliance
The federal government developed the Trusted Tester methodology as a standardized approach to Section 508 testing. While Trusted Tester certification involves manual testing by trained evaluators, automated tools provide an essential first pass. Here is a practical approach:
Automated scan
Run your website through an automated checker like ADAfriendly. This catches the majority of machine-detectable violations — missing alt text, contrast failures, missing form labels, broken ARIA, and more. Our scanner tests against WCAG 2.2 AA, which fully covers the WCAG 2.0 AA criteria referenced by Section 508.
Keyboard testing
Navigate every page using only a keyboard. All interactive elements must be reachable via Tab, operable via Enter or Space, and dismissable via Escape. Focus must be visible at all times and must follow a logical order.
Screen reader testing
Test with at least one screen reader (NVDA on Windows, VoiceOver on Mac). Verify that page structure, headings, landmarks, form labels, and dynamic content are announced correctly.
Document accessibility
Section 508 extends beyond websites. PDFs, Word documents, presentations, and spreadsheets published by your organization must also be accessible. Use built-in accessibility checkers in Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Office.
Ongoing monitoring
Section 508 compliance is not a one-time audit. Set up continuous monitoring to catch regressions as content is updated. ADAfriendly provides automated weekly or daily scans with alerts when new violations appear.
Test your Section 508 compliance
Our free accessibility checker tests against WCAG 2.2 AA — which fully covers the web content requirements of Section 508. Get your results in under 60 seconds.