Section 508 Website Compliance Guide 2026

Over 70 million U.S. adults reported having a disability. And federal websites receive an average of 2 billion visits per month, making it essential for the government to provide digital products and services that everyone can use.

Yet the FY 2025 Governmentwide Section 508 Assessment found that the average federal conformance score sits at just 1.96 out of 5. Fewer than half of the most viewed federal digital assets were fully conformant.

For many agencies and contractors, the problem is not intent; it is knowing where to start.

This guide covers everything you need to know about Section 508 website compliance. That includes what it is, who it applies to, what the consequences of non-compliance are, and how to get compliant and stay that way.

What is Section 508?

Section 508 is a US federal law that requires government websites and digital tools to be accessible to people with disabilities. It sits within the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and was significantly strengthened in 1998.

Before 1998, accessibility in government technology was largely ignored. The 1998 amendment changed that by making it a legal requirement for federal agencies to meet specific accessibility standards across all their digital products and services.

In practice, this means federal websites, documents, videos, and software must work for everyone. That includes people with disabilities who rely on screen readers, keyboard navigation, or other assistive technologies.

Who Section 508 applies to

Section 508 applies to three main groups within the federal space.

• Federal executive branch agencies and all departments within them.
• Private contractors that develop, sell, or maintain Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for federal agencies.
• Universities, non-profits, and state and local programmes receiving federal funding.

Federal executive branch agencies are covered directly. Private contractors must prove their products meet Section 508 standards before agencies can purchase them. Universities and non-profits fall under the scope through their federal funding.

It is worth noting that Section 508 applies to the ICT a contractor develops or sells to federal agencies, not to the contractor’s own website. However, a contractor’s public-facing website may still fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Who Section 508 does not apply to

Two groups fall outside Section 508’s formal scope.

• Legislative and judicial branch agencies.
• Private companies with no federal contracts or funding.

That does not mean these organisations ignore accessibility.

Many legislative and judicial agencies follow Section 508 voluntarily. The Library of Congress, for instance, has adopted its practices across its digital platforms, not because the law compels it, but because it chose to.

Private companies with no federal connection do not fall under the scope of Section 508. Instead, they fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a separate framework with related but distinct accessibility requirements.

What are the Section 508 requirements for websites?

Section 508 requires federal websites to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA. WCAG is built on four principles, known as POUR.

• Perceivable: users must be able to see or hear all content, including images, video, and documents.
• Operable: users must be able to navigate and interact using a keyboard, not just a mouse
• Understandable: content and navigation must be clear and predictable for all users
• Robust: content must work reliably across different browsers, devices, and assistive technologies.

Meeting these four principles across your website, documents, multimedia, and software is the core of Section 508 compliance.

Section 508 non-compliance fines and penalties

Federal agencies and contractors that fail to meet accessibility standards face real legal and financial consequences. There is no set fine; the cost depends on the nature of the violation, how it is enforced, and whether it ends up in litigation.

Two cases show exactly what is at stake.

Michael Leiterman, a blind attorney at US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for providing inaccessible internal tools that prevented him from doing his job. DHS settled for $550,000.

Two blind students and the National Federation of the Blind sued the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) for failing to provide accessible course materials and educational technology. The district settled for over $240,000 and was required to remediate its digital platforms.

For contractors, the consequence plays out differently. There is no fine involved, but if your product does not meet Section 508 standards, agencies are not permitted to buy it. A missing or non-compliant VPAT means no contract.

Section 508 compliance checklist

Use this checklist as a starting point for auditing your digital assets against Section 508 requirements. It is based on WCAG 2.0 Level AA, which is the technical standard adopted in the 2017 Section 508 refresh. It is not exhaustive, but it covers the most critical areas.

Perceivable

Text Alternatives

• Every image and embedded media that conveys content has descriptive alternative text.
• Complex graphics such as charts and graphs have a full text description on the page or via a link.
• Decorative images have empty alt text so screen readers skip them.
• Linked images have alt text that describes the function, not just the image.
• Audio-only and video-only content has a text transcript or equivalent alternative.

Multimedia

• All pre-recorded videos have accurate, synchronised captions.
• Live audio broadcasts have synchronised captions.
• Pre-recorded video with important visual information has an audio description track.

Colour and contrast

• Colour is never the sole means of conveying information.
• Text and images of text have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1.
• Large text has a contrast ratio of at least 3:1.
• User interface components and graphical objects have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against adjacent colours.

Adaptable content

• Pages are readable and understandable without a style sheet.
• Content does not rely on shape, size, visual location, or sound alone to convey meaning.
• Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or functionality.

Audio control

• Audio that plays automatically for more than three seconds can be paused or stopped by the user.
• Background audio does not interfere with foreground content.

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Operable

Keyboard access

• All website content and functionality is accessible via keyboard alone.
• No keyboard trap exists — users can navigate away from any component using the keyboard.
• All software functions are executable from a keyboard.

Enough time

• Users can pause, stop, or hide any moving, blinking, or scrolling content.
• Users are alerted before timed sessions expire and given the option to extend.
• No content auto-updates in a way the user cannot control.

Seizures and physical reactions

• No element on the page flickers or flashes between 2 and 55 times per second.
• Animated content can be paused or presented in a non-animated format.

Navigable

• A skip navigation link is provided to bypass repetitive menus and link lists.
• Every page has a descriptive, unique title.
• Focus order is logical and preserves meaning.
• Focus indicators are visible and move logically through interactive elements.
• Every frame has a descriptive title that explains its purpose.
• Links have descriptive anchor text — not “click here” or “read more.”
• Multiple ways are available to locate pages within a website, such as search or a site map.
• Headings and labels are descriptive and correctly structured.

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Understandable

Readable

• The language of each page is programmatically identified.
• The language of any passage that differs from the page language is identified.
• Unusual words, jargon, or abbreviations are explained or expanded on first use.

Predictable

• Pages appear and operate in predictable ways.
• Components that appear on multiple pages behave consistently.
• No unexpected context changes occur when a component receives focus.
• No unexpected context changes occur when a user inputs data, unless the user is warned in advance.

Input assistance

• All form fields have descriptive, associated labels.
• Error messages clearly identify which field is in error and how to fix it.
• Input formats are explained before submission where required.
• For legal, financial, or data-deletion actions, users can review, correct, and confirm before submitting.
• Scripting does not interfere with keyboard or assistive technology access.

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Robust

Compatible

• All interface elements — identity, operation, and state — are available to assistive technologies.
• Focus changes are programmatically exposed so assistive technologies can track them.
• Status messages are programmatically determined so assistive technologies can announce them without receiving focus.
• Content and functionality delivered by scripts is accessible to assistive technologies and keyboard users.
• Applications do not disrupt or disable operating system or assistive technology accessibility features.

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Documents and PDFs

• PDFs are tagged and structured for screen readers.
• Tables have proper headers.
• Reading order is logical and correct.
• Documents are not scanned images of text.

Procurement

• A VPAT is completed and up to date.
• Accessibility requirements are included in procurement documentation.
• Vendors have been evaluated against Section 508 standards before purchase.

How to achieve Section 508 compliance

Section 508 compliance is a structured process, not a one-time audit. The steps below apply whether you are a federal agency reviewing your own websites or a contractor preparing products for federal procurement.

Step 1: Identify the scope of your ICT

Start by listing every digital asset that falls under Section 508. That includes websites, web applications, PDFs, videos, internal software, and procurement documentation. Define whether each asset is web content, software, multimedia, or a document.

Step 2: Test your digital assets

Start with an automated scan across every asset on your list. Then follow up with manual testing. For a deeper assessment, you can go further and conduct user testing with people who rely on assistive technologies in their daily lives.

Step 3: Prioritise and fix issues

Sort findings by severity. Critical issues block access entirely and must be fixed first. These include missing keyboard focus and inaccessible login forms. Document every issue, its location, and its fix status as you work through them.

Step 4: Complete a VPAT and publish an accessibility statement

If you are a contractor or vendor, you need to complete a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). It documents your product’s conformance against Section 508 standards. Federal procurement officers require a VPAT before purchasing any ICT.

If you are a federal agency, you are expected to publish an accessibility statement. This is a public-facing page on your website that declares your commitment to accessibility, lists any known issues, and provides a way for users to report barriers.

Step 5: Build a monitoring process

Accessibility degrades over time as content is added and code changes. Schedule recurring automated scans. Add accessibility checks to your development workflow. Assign ownership so new content meets Section 508 before it goes live.

FAQs