Section 508 accessibility
Section 508 requires federal agencies to make the technology they buy, build and use accessible to people with disabilities. Vendors meet it through the contract, and an agency asks for an Accessibility Conformance Report before it buys.
We test your product against the Revised 508 Standards, write the report on ITI’s VPAT® template, and fix what fails with your engineers.
How the rules reach a vendor
The law binds agencies, and the FAR carries its standards into what they buy. The Access Board’s standards have required WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA since January 18, 2018.
- Jan 18, 2017
Revised 508 Standards
The Access Board’s rule (82 FR 5790) adopts WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA for web content, documents and software.
- Jan 18, 2018
Agencies must comply
Compliance with the revised standards is required from this date. ICT bought before it, and not changed since, is legacy.
- Sep 10, 2021
Written into the FAR
FAR Case 2017-011 puts the revised standards in FAR Subpart 39.2, so ICT an agency buys must meet them.
- Dec 21, 2023
OMB M-24-08
Agencies must validate a vendor’s Section 508 documentation before they buy, and test with the ICT Testing Baseline and manual testing.
- Jun 23, 2026
FAR overhaul proposed
The proposed rule moves the Section 508 text within FAR Part 39 without changing what it requires. No final rule yet.
Sources: 82 FR 5790 (opens in a new tab), FAR Subpart 39.2 (opens in a new tab), OMB M-24-08 (PDF, opens in a new tab) and 91 FR 37550 (opens in a new tab).
The 38 WCAG criteria the standards adopt
WCAG 2.0 has 25 Level A and 13 Level AA success criteria, grouped under four principles. Select one to see its level and where Section 508 applies it.
1Perceivable14
2Operable12
3Understandable10
4Robust2
Perceivable · 1.4 Distinguishable
1.4.3
Contrast (Minimum)
Where 508 applies it Web pages, electronic documents, software and electronic support documentation (E205.4, E207.2, 602.3).
Criterion names from Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 (opens in a new tab), W3C Recommendation 11 December 2008. Copyright © 2008 W3C® (MIT, ERCIM, Keio). Where 508 applies them: the Revised 508 Standards (opens in a new tab), E205.4, E207.2 and 602.3.
The Accessibility Conformance Report
A VPAT® completed for a specific product is an ACR. For federal buyers it uses the 508 or INT edition, and only Level A and AA are required.
| Criteria | Conformance level | Remarks and explanations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA) | Partially Supports | Body text meets 4.5:1. The placeholder text in the search field measures 3.2:1. |
| 2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A) | Supports | Every function can be reached and operated from the keyboard. |
Sources: ITI, VPAT® (opens in a new tab), and section508.gov on creating an ACR (opens in a new tab) and reading conformance claims (opens in a new tab). VPAT® is a registered service mark of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI).
From test to report to fix
Scope
We agree which product, versions and content are in scope: web pages, software, electronic documents and support documentation. We also confirm which VPAT® edition your buyer wants, the 508 edition or the international one.
Test
We test against the ICT Testing Baseline for Web, version 3.1, by hand and with automated tools, and check the functional performance criteria where WCAG does not reach. If your buyer asks for WCAG 2.1 or 2.2, we test to that level too.
- Issue list
- Each failure with its criterion, where it occurs and how to fix it.
Report
We write the Accessibility Conformance Report on ITI’s VPAT® 2.5Rev, with a remark for every criterion that is not fully supported and the evaluation methods agencies ask to see.
- Accessibility Conformance Report
- VPAT® 2.5Rev, 508 or INT edition, ready for a proposal.
Fix and retest
We fix what fails with your engineers, test it again and update the report. When the product changes, the report has to change with it.
The ICT Testing Baseline for Web (opens in a new tab) is maintained by an interagency working group led by the Access Board and GSA. We test this website the same way: see our accessibility statement.
Section 508 and WCAG, briefly
- Is there a Section 508 certification?
- No. ITI, which publishes the VPAT®, says there is no certification for it. DHS certifies individual people as Trusted Testers, not products. An agency reads your ACR and may test the product itself before it buys.
- Does Section 508 apply to contractors?
- It binds federal agencies, and vendors meet it through the contract. FAR 39.203 has agencies buy ICT that meets the Revised 508 Standards. ICT a contractor uses in-house to perform a contract is excepted.
- Which WCAG version does Section 508 use?
- WCAG 2.0, Level A and AA. Buyers often ask about WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 as well. ITI’s VPAT® 2.5Rev covers WCAG 2.0 in its 508 edition and WCAG 2.2 in its WCAG and INT editions.
- Do state and local governments follow Section 508?
- Not as such. The Justice Department’s ADA Title II rule sets WCAG 2.1 Level AA for their websites and mobile apps. After an April 2026 extension, governments of 50,000 people or more must comply by April 26, 2027, and smaller ones and special districts by April 26, 2028.
- When does an ACR need updating?
- When the product changes. GSA says an updated ACR may be required whenever a product is changed or updated, and OMB M-24-08 has agencies validate vendor documentation again after version or feature changes.
Title II dates from the Justice Department’s April 2026 interim final rule (opens in a new tab). ACR updates: section508.gov (opens in a new tab).