What Is Section 508?
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires US federal agencies to make the information and communication technology (ICT) they develop, buy, maintain or use accessible to people with disabilities, both employees and members of the public.
The Revised 508 Standards, published by the US Access Board in January 2017 and in effect since January 18, 2018, incorporate WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA by reference. They apply WCAG 2.0 not only to websites but also to electronic documents such as PDFs and to software. That is why this checker runs the WCAG 2.0 AA rules when you choose Section 508.
Section 508 reaches well beyond federal agencies in practice. Contractors and software vendors selling to the government are asked to show conformance, usually with an Accessibility Conformance Report based on the VPAT template, and many state governments and universities use Section 508 in their own procurement rules.
| Law | Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d) |
|---|---|
| Web standard | WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA |
| Revised Standards in effect | January 18, 2018 |
| Success criteria at Level A and AA | 38 |
| Applies to | Federal agencies, and in practice their vendors and contractors |
Who Needs Section 508 Conformance?
- US federal departments and agencies, for public websites, intranets, documents and software.
- Federal contractors and SaaS vendors, who are asked for an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), typically using the VPAT 508 edition.
- Many state agencies and public universities, which adopt Section 508 in their own accessibility policies and purchasing.
- Organizations receiving federal funding that choose Section 508 as their internal benchmark.
What Makes Section 508 Different From Plain WCAG
The web requirements are WCAG 2.0 AA, but the Revised 508 Standards add context that matters for testing and reporting.
Documents are covered too
PDFs, Word files and presentations must meet the WCAG 2.0 AA requirements that apply to documents, not just web pages.
Software and apps
Desktop and mobile software must meet WCAG 2.0 AA as applied to software, plus the functional requirements in Chapter 5.
Functional performance criteria
Chapter 3 requires ways to use ICT without vision, with limited vision, without hearing, with limited manipulation and more.
Conformance reports
Vendors document conformance in an Accessibility Conformance Report. Automated results are useful evidence but need manual testing to back them up.
Trusted Tester process
Many agencies test with the DHS Trusted Tester methodology, which combines tools such as ANDI with manual steps.
WCAG 2.0, not 2.1
Section 508 still references WCAG 2.0. Testing against 2.1 or 2.2 is fine and exceeds the requirement, but report against 2.0 AA.
What This Section 508 Checker Tests
WCAG 2.0 Level AA has 38 success criteria. This checker runs 60 automated rules, which test 17 of them. The rest need a person to judge, and they are listed here so nothing is missed. Open a principle to see every criterion.
Perceivable 7 of 14 automated
| Success criterion | Level | How it is tested |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1 Non-text Content | A | Automated (7 rules) |
| 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) | A | Manual review |
| 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) | A | Automated (1 rule) |
| 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) | A | Manual review |
| 1.2.4 Captions (Live) | AA | Manual review |
| 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) | AA | Manual review |
| 1.3.1 Info and Relationships | A | Automated (9 rules) |
| 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence | A | Manual review |
| 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics | A | Manual review |
| 1.4.1 Use of Color | A | Automated (1 rule) |
| 1.4.2 Audio Control | A | Automated (1 rule) |
| 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) | AA | Automated (1 rule) |
| 1.4.4 Resize Text | AA | Automated (1 rule) |
| 1.4.5 Images of Text | AA | Manual review |
Operable 6 of 12 automated
| Success criterion | Level | How it is tested |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1.1 Keyboard | A | Automated (3 rules) |
| 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap | A | Manual review |
| 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable | A | Automated (1 rule) |
| 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide | A | Automated (2 rules) |
| 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold | A | Manual review |
| 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks | A | Automated (1 rule) |
| 2.4.2 Page Titled | A | Automated (1 rule) |
| 2.4.3 Focus Order | A | Manual review |
| 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) | A | Automated (2 rules) |
| 2.4.5 Multiple Ways | AA | Manual review |
| 2.4.6 Headings and Labels | AA | Manual review |
| 2.4.7 Focus Visible | AA | Manual review |
Understandable 3 of 10 automated
| Success criterion | Level | How it is tested |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1.1 Language of Page | A | Automated (3 rules) |
| 3.1.2 Language of Parts | AA | Automated (1 rule) |
| 3.2.1 On Focus | A | Manual review |
| 3.2.2 On Input | A | Manual review |
| 3.2.3 Consistent Navigation | AA | Manual review |
| 3.2.4 Consistent Identification | AA | Manual review |
| 3.3.1 Error Identification | A | Manual review |
| 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions | A | Automated (1 rule) |
| 3.3.3 Error Suggestion | AA | Manual review |
| 3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) | AA | Manual review |
Robust 1 of 2 automated
| Success criterion | Level | How it is tested |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1.1 Parsing (obsolete in WCAG 2.2) | A | Manual review |
| 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value | A | Automated (28 rules) |
What to Check by Hand
Automated rules find the code-level failures. Add these checks to cover what they cannot judge.
- Test every page template with a keyboard and a screen reader, as the Trusted Tester process does.
- Check linked PDFs and documents for tags, reading order, headings and alternative text.
- Confirm video has captions and, where needed, audio description.
- Review forms for clear labels, instructions and error identification.
- Record results per criterion so they can go into an Accessibility Conformance Report.
- Test with high contrast and zoom, per the functional performance criteria.
For a step-by-step routine, see Plan manual testing in our Help Center.
How to Use Your Results
- Fix critical and serious issues first, especially on forms, navigation and checkout. Each issue shows the failing code and how to fix it.
- Filter by criterion to hand one type of issue to the right person, for example contrast to design and labels to development.
- Rescan after each fix to confirm it, then run the manual checks above.
- Monitor the whole site. A free scan checks one page. AccessBell Pro monitors up to 500 URLs per domain against WCAG 2.0 Level AA every day and alerts you to new issues.
Related Guides
Section 508 Checker Questions
Is Section 508 the same as WCAG?
For web content, the Revised 508 Standards incorporate WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA. Section 508 also applies those requirements to documents and software, and adds functional performance criteria and requirements for hardware and support documentation.
Does Section 508 apply to private companies?
The law applies to federal agencies, but agencies must buy accessible ICT, so vendors and contractors are expected to meet it and provide an Accessibility Conformance Report. Many states and universities also require it.
What is a VPAT?
The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template is a document format from the Information Technology Industry Council. Once completed, it becomes an Accessibility Conformance Report describing how a product meets each requirement. A scan report is useful evidence, but a VPAT also needs manual testing.
Why does this checker use WCAG 2.0 for Section 508?
Because the Revised 508 Standards reference WCAG 2.0 AA. Running only the 2.0 rules gives you results that match what you must report. If you want to exceed the requirement, test against WCAG 2.2 AA as well.
Sources
- Section508.gov: Official Section 508 program site (opens in a new tab)
- US Access Board: Information and Communication Technology standards (opens in a new tab)
- ITI: Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) (opens in a new tab)
This page explains technical standards and is not legal advice. See our disclaimer.