Section 508 Compliance Checker

Section 508 is an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that requires US federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities. Originally enacted in 1998, Section 508 was significantly updated in January 2018 (the "Refresh") to align its technical requirements with WCAG 2.0 Level AA. This update replaced the previous technology-specific standards with the internationally recognized WCAG framework, making compliance more straightforward for organizations already targeting web accessibility. Section 508 is enforced by the US Access Board and applies to all federal agencies, as well as any organization that develops, procures, maintains, or uses electronic technology on behalf of the federal government.

Section 508 compliance is mandatory for:

• All federal agencies — every department from the IRS to NASA must ensure their websites, intranets, software, and digital documents are accessible.
• Federal contractors and vendors — if you sell software, websites, or digital products to the US government, your offerings must meet Section 508. This is typically enforced through procurement requirements and Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs).
• Organizations receiving federal funding — universities, research institutions, and nonprofits receiving federal grants may be required to ensure their digital content is accessible under Section 508.

The federal government spends over $100 billion annually on IT, making Section 508 compliance a significant market access requirement for technology vendors. Non-compliance can result in contract loss, formal complaints, and agency sanctions.

Since the 2018 Refresh, Section 508 references WCAG 2.0 AA as its technical standard for web content. This means websites must meet all 38 Level A and AA success criteria from WCAG 2.0. Key areas include:

• Text alternatives for all non-text content (images, charts, icons)
• Captions and audio descriptions for multimedia content
• Keyboard accessibility — all functionality available without a mouse
• Color contrast ratios of at least 4.5:1 for normal text
• Form labels and error handling for all interactive elements
• Consistent navigation and predictable page behavior

Section 508 also covers non-web software, hardware, and documentation, but for websites the WCAG 2.0 AA alignment means the same testing approaches apply.

CompliScan's scanner evaluates your web pages against all WCAG 2.0 AA criteria that form the basis of Section 508 compliance. The scan uses axe-core rules mapped to specific Section 508 provisions, detecting violations like missing alt attributes, insufficient contrast, absent form labels, and keyboard traps. Each issue includes a reference to the corresponding Section 508 provision and WCAG criterion, which is particularly useful if you need to complete a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) for government procurement. Our AI fix suggestions provide the exact code changes needed, and scan results can be exported to support your accessibility conformance documentation.