Section 508 Compliance Checker
Scan your federal website or contractor site for Section 508 compliance based on WCAG 2.0 AA.
What is Section 508?
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, requires that all electronic and information technology (ICT) developed, procured, maintained, or used by the US federal government be accessible to people with disabilities. The 2018 Section 508 refresh formally incorporated WCAG 2.0 Level AA as the technical standard for web content. Federal agencies, contractors building systems for the government, and any organization selling technology to federal buyers must demonstrate conformance — typically via a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR).
Who Needs to Comply?
- US federal executive branch agencies and their websites
- Federal contractors developing or supplying ICT to the government
- Companies submitting VPATs as part of federal procurement
- State agencies receiving federal funds (often by extension)
- Universities and research institutions with federal contracts
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Section 508 Compliance: The Complete Guide
Section 508: Federal Accessibility Law
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires all ICT developed, procured, or used by federal agencies to be accessible. If you do business with the federal government, 508 compliance is a legal prerequisite that can make or break your ability to win contracts.
History
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was amended in 1986 to add Section 508. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 strengthened it by requiring binding technical standards, published in December 2000 (effective June 2001). The 2017/2018 refresh formally adopted WCAG 2.0 Level AA as the web content benchmark.
Who Must Comply
- Federal agencies — all executive, legislative, and judicial branches
- Federal contractors and subcontractors — selling ICT to the government
- Grant recipients — organizations receiving federal financial assistance
- State agencies — receiving federal funds for technology projects
ICT Covered
- Websites and web applications — public-facing and intranet
- Software applications — desktop, mobile, cloud-based
- Electronic documents — PDFs, Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Multimedia and video — captions, audio descriptions required
- Hardware with digital interfaces — kiosks, copiers, telecom equipment
The VPAT/ACR Requirement
The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a standardized document describing product conformance. The completed document is an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR). Procurement officers use ACRs to compare products and document due diligence. A missing or incomplete ACR can disqualify your proposal.
The Procurement Angle
508 non-compliance has tangible business consequences. Solicitations include accessibility as evaluation factors. Proposals that fail to demonstrate conformance are at a significant competitive disadvantage. Agencies have rejected proposals outright and incumbent vendors have lost recompetes for accessibility deficiencies.
Common Failures
- Missing alt text on images, charts, infographics
- Inaccessible forms without labels or keyboard access
- Poor color contrast failing the 4.5:1 ratio
- Keyboard traps in modals and custom widgets
- Untagged PDFs — the most pervasive federal failure
- Missing video captions
How wcagrepair Helps
wcagrepair gives you a criterion-by-criterion audit mapped to WCAG 2.0 AA — the standard Section 508 incorporates. Our scan identifies failures that would appear as “Does Not Support” in your VPAT/ACR. For $8.99, you get actionable remediation guidance to fix issues and strengthen your conformance documentation.
Section 508 Compliance FAQ
Who needs to comply with Section 508?
All federal agencies and their employees. Also federal contractors, subcontractors selling ICT to the government, and organizations receiving federal grants or funding — including state agencies, universities, and nonprofits.
What is a VPAT and do I need one?
A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a standardized document describing how your product conforms to Section 508. The completed document is called an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR). If you sell ICT to the federal government, procurement officers will almost certainly require one. Missing ACRs can disqualify your bid.
Does Section 508 require WCAG 2.0 or 2.1?
The 2017/2018 refresh adopted WCAG 2.0 Level AA. WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 are not currently required, but since they are backward-compatible, meeting 2.1 or 2.2 automatically satisfies the 508 requirement. Many agencies recommend targeting 2.1 AA as best practice.
Can I lose a federal contract for 508 non-compliance?
Yes. Solicitations routinely include 508 conformance as an evaluation factor. Proposals with inadequate ACRs can be rated technically unacceptable. Incumbent vendors have lost recompete contracts due to unresolved accessibility deficiencies.
Does Section 508 apply to PDFs and documents?
Yes. All electronic documents produced by or on behalf of federal agencies must be accessible. Untagged or image-only PDFs are one of the most common violations across the federal government.
What’s the difference between Section 508 and ADA?
Section 508 governs ICT used by federal agencies and contractors, with explicit technical standards (WCAG 2.0 AA). The ADA is broader civil rights law covering private businesses (Title III) and state/local governments (Title II), relying on case law and DOJ guidance rather than statutory WCAG mandates.
How Our Scanner Helps with Section 508
Most accessibility laws reference the WCAG 2.1 AA standard as their technical baseline. Our scanner audits your site against WCAG 2.1 AA using axe-core — the same engine used by Google Lighthouse and Microsoft Accessibility Insights.
- Automated Section 508 audit mapped to WCAG 2.1 success criteria your regulation requires
- Severity breakdown by critical, major, and minor issues to prioritize remediation
- AI-generated remediation guide with copy-paste code fixes for every issue
- Ongoing monitoring to stay compliant as your site changes
- Downloadable compliance certificate showing your site's current audit status
Is Your Site Section 508 Compliant?
Find out in under 2 minutes — free.