What Is Section 508?

Section 508 is an amendment to the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It requires that all federal agencies ensure their electronic and information technology (EIT) — including websites, web applications, software, and electronic documents — is accessible to people with disabilities.

In its 2017 refresh, the U.S. Access Board formally adopted WCAG 2.0 Level AA as the technical standard for Section 508 compliance. This means meeting WCAG 2.0 AA is the same as meeting Section 508 for digital content.

Who Must Comply?

Section 508 applies directly to:

• All U.S. federal agencies — including civilian, defense, and intelligence agencies.

• Any company that contracts with the federal government — if you build, supply, or maintain IT systems used by a federal agency, your product must be Section 508 compliant.

• Subcontractors — if your client is a prime contractor to the government and your product is incorporated into their deliverable, Section 508 requirements flow down to you.

Many state governments, universities, and large healthcare systems have also adopted Section 508 or equivalent accessibility requirements for their own procurements, even though they are not legally required to do so.

Section 508 vs. ADA: What’s the Difference?

The two laws are related but distinct:

• The ADA is a broad civil rights law covering all businesses open to the public. It applies to private companies, nonprofits, and state/local governments. It does not specify technical standards but courts typically reference WCAG 2.1 AA when evaluating cases.

• Section 508 is a federal procurement regulation. It applies specifically to federal agencies and their contractors, and it explicitly requires WCAG 2.0 AA as the compliance benchmark.

If you serve both private and government clients, meeting WCAG 2.1 AA satisfies both the ADA standard and Section 508 simultaneously — since WCAG 2.1 is a superset of WCAG 2.0.

What ADAcertify Delivers for Government Contractors

If you are responding to a federal RFP or onboarding as a government vendor, ADAcertify provides:

• Section 508 conformance audit — A line-by-line test of your website or application against all applicable 508 provisions and WCAG 2.0 AA success criteria.

• VPAT / ACR production — A completed Voluntary Product Accessibility Template documenting your conformance level for each criterion, ready for procurement submission.

• Remediation — Full-service fixing of any gaps identified during the audit, so you can achieve “Supports” status across criteria before submission.

• Ongoing monitoring — Continuous scanning to ensure new content or updates don’t introduce new 508 violations after your initial certification.

✅ Pro Tip: Don’t wait until an RFP requires a VPAT to start remediating. Agencies increasingly screen vendors before issuing RFPs. Being compliant before you’re asked positions you ahead of competitors who scramble after the fact.