The purpose of this document is to ensure cms compliance with federal requirements relative to any purchase of electronic and information technology eit. Designed to address the barriers associated with employment of individuals with disabilities, section 508 of the rehabilitation act outlines the. Office of federal procurement policy 508 compliance the white. A development, procurement, maintenance, or use of electronic and information technology.
Please be aware that the primary requirment for producing a compliant document is a logical document structure. There is an extensive list of requirements for section 508 compliant pdf documents. On august 7, 1998, the president signed into law the workforce investment act of 1998, which included amendments to the rehabilitation act. Section 508 addresses every aspect of electronic documents, from tagging content and animated displays to ttys and usability of keys and controls. In 1998, the president signed into law the workforce. How to build an effective section 508 program describes the 12 plays to integrate strategic, business and technology management into a successful section 508 program, to ensure federal ict. Section 508 technical reference guide handbook as508a september 2004 transmittal letter a. Section 508 508 statute php, 508 statute pdf requires that federal agencies. New and redesigned sites should be compliant when submitted to the web governance team for approval to send live. If youre not sure if you need to be 508 compliant, its best to ask an expert.
These amendments significantly expanded and strengthened the it accessibility requirements in section 508 and made them. Summary of section 508 standards the standards define the types of technology covered and set forth provisions that. Using technology to enhance value is an integral part of the postal service s transformation plan. In preparation for its report, the department of justice conducts a survey of federal agencies to obtain information on the state of compliance with section 508. Section 508 was originally added to the rehabilitation act in 1986. Nov 20, 2017 section 508 also directs the attorney general to submit reports to the president and congress on the state of federal agencies compliance with the acts requirements. This document must be completed by the requesting official purchase requestor and provided to the. For accessible pdf files, the recommended format is the pdf ua format which complies with wcag 2. Strategic plan for improving management of section 508 of the rehabilitation act january 24. On august 7, 1998, president clinton signed into law the rehabilitation act. Section 508 exempts national security systems from its requirements. When developing, procuring, maintaining, or using electronic and information technology, each federal. Section 508 established non binding guidelines for it accessibility.
Four page guide to section 508 rules and regulations. The section 508 standards apply to electronic and information technology procured by the federal government, including computer hardware and software, websites, and multimedia such as video, phone systems, and copiers. Pdf 508 accessibility checklist the united states social. How to create accessible portable document format pdf documents that conform to the revised 508 standards. Tutorials are written to assist web authors in meeting section 508 requirements. The sdl development team worked closely with existing customers to understand the challenges and requirements faced in their content production environments and build out the new capabilities to address their specific needs to support pdfua, section 508 compliant documents. Access board is responsible for developing information and communication technology ict accessibility standards to incorporate into regulations that govern federal procurement practices. As of january 2018, the technical requirements of section 508 have changed to incorporate wcag 2. The term agency is defined in section e103 to include. Implementation guidance for section 508 web accessibility dated june 11, 2001, and implements opms policy on compliance with the requirements of section 508. Section 508 may seem similar to the ada, but there are some important differences. On april 2, 1999, the attorney general issued a memorandum to the heads of all federal agencies advising them of the requirements of section 508 and providing instructions for conducting selfevaluations of. The checklist below, a series of tables, is based on the content of the pdf.
Documents must be tagged to allow checking for section 508 accessibility. The checklist below is outofdate and should not be used. Section 508 is an amendment to the workforce rehabilitation act of 1973, which u. Information and communication technology ict standards and guidelines. Section 508 background and standards va section 508 office. Clients have some latitude in the manner in which they choose to develop pdf documents to conform to the section 508 requirements. Irs section 508 compliant pdf forms internal revenue service. The president identified transparency, participation, and collaboration as the principles of. This amendment played a big role in bringing web accessibility to the forefront. This handbook explains the requirements of section 508 of the rehabilitation act and sets forth. The revised section 508 standards and section 255 guidelines address many changes to technology that have occurred since 2000. Mail addressed to several persons may be delivered to any one of them.
Department of education is committed to making its electronic and information technologies accessible to individuals with disabilities by meeting or exceeding the requirements of section 508 of the rehabilitation act 29 u. This applies to web applications, web pages and all attached files on the intranet, as well as, the internet. Section 508 information federal communications commission. This guide highlights the changes you need to make to your agencys 508 program, to transition to the revised 508 standards. Under section 508, agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information comparable to the access available to others. Structure the document correctly in your authoring software and be sure to make tags when creating the pdf, then check the resulting file for compliance or. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended the act requires that individuals with disabilities, who are federal employees or members of the public seeking information or services from a federal agency, be provided access to and use. All office of energy efficiency and renewable energy eere websites, applications, and other digital media are expected to comply with section 508 requirements. You may need a pdf reader to view some of the files on this page. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended 29 u. Federal agencies are required to comply with the revised standards as of january 18, 2018. Without a contrary order, the mail is delivered as addressed. The board is responsible for developing accessibility standards for such. For accessible pdf files, the recommended format is the pdfua format which complies with wcag 2.
Please visit other pages on the navigation pane to the right titled resources to view more information about accessibility and obtaining conformance with section 508. Does tagged pdf display yes under advanced, figure 5. Eit accessibility standards implementing section 508 were published by the u. The following are links to documents that have been used in training others to create section 508 compliant documents such as ones you may need to satisfy reporting requirements. Ict that is procured, developed, maintained, or used by agencies shall conform to these requirements.
Guidance should include, among other things, adobe acrobat files. The recent section 508 refresh brought harmonization with the wcag 2. The office of the chief information officer ocio is responsible for hhs section 508 compliance. Pdf files cannot be validated for compliance with section 508 by currently available automation.
Among the most significant changes are the widespread use of mobile technology and the increasing use of mobile devices to perform a variety of ict functions. Section 508 amendment to the rehabilitation act of 1973. This page has information about the section 508 law, and the va section 508 office. The law strengthens section 508 of the rehabilitation act and requires access to electronic and information technology provided by the us federal government. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act department of energy. Section 508 also directs the attorney general to submit reports to the president and congress on the state of federal agencies compliance with the acts requirements. Some of the documents on this page were created as pdfs. Based on fiscal year 2018 data from the federal procurement data system fpds, it is estimated that there are approximately 22,809 contractors that manufacture, sell, or lease ict supplies or services required to comply with section 508 standards. The checklist from section a forward is based on the wcag 2.
South carolina mandated that state agency websites be compliant by july 21, 2006. Usaid implementation of section 508 of the rehabilitation. On august 7, 1998, the president signed into law the workforce investment act of 1998, which includes the rehabilitation act amendments of 1998. The attorney general must submit a report to the president on the extent to which the electronic and information technology of the federal government is accessible to individuals with disabilities. The following standards are excerpted from section 508 of the rehabilitation act, 1194. Micropurchases and section 508 requirements how to make micropurchases that conform with the revised 508 standards technology accessibility playbook. Section 508 home page united states department of justice. Disqualified corporate interest expense disallowed under section 163j and related information. Section 508 compliance accessible document solutions. Cioc revised section 508 chapter 4 hardware including mobile.
For example, hhs has a comprehensive checklist for their contracted documents, but passing an item on the hhs checklist doesnt mean that the document is not compliant i. Section 508 selfevaluation questions and answers for designated agency officials every two years, the attorney general is required by statute to issue a status report to congress and the president regarding agencies progress toward implementation of section 508 of the rehabilitation act, 29 u. On august 7, 1998, president clinton signed into us law the rehabilitation act amendments of 1998 that cover access to federally funded programs and services. Oct 08, 2019 section 508 requires that all website content be accessible to people with disabilities. In 1998, the president signed into law the workforce investment act of 1998, which included the rehabilitation act amendments of 1998. The term agency is defined in section e103 to include the united states postal service and other federal agencies and departments as specified in 44 u. The legal basis for this rule is section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 29 u. Section 508 requires that all website content be accessible to people with disabilities. By now, i am sure you are aware of the changes made to the rehabilitation act of 1973 by the obama administration. On april 2, 1999, the attorney general issued a memorandum to the heads of all federal agencies advising them of the requirements of section 508 and providing instructions for conducting selfevaluations of their electronic and information technology. Nov 23, 2016 section 508 is an amendment to the workforce rehabilitation act of 1973, which u. Determination under section 860e4 by a qualified investment entity.
Designed to address the barriers associated with employment of individuals with disabilities, section 508 of the rehabilitation act outlines the compliance requirements for federal contractors. May 26, 2017 section 508 doesnt apply to federal agencies only. This includes private contractors, the financial industry, healthcare, many legal organizations, and others. It also impacts any company that does business with a federal agency. Handbook as508a section 508 technical reference guide. Section 508 is a 1998 amendment to the rehabilitation act of 1973 that establishes federal accessibility guidelines for electronic and information technology. Created by the cio councils accessibility community of practice, this information is presented in categories that align to the baseline tests for revised 508 standards, which cover all wcag 2.
How does section 508 differ from the americans with disabilities act ada. Section 508 requires the attorney general to submit to the president and congress reports containing information on and recommendations regarding the state of federal department and agency compliance with section 508, including actions regarding individual complaints. Section 508 establishes requirements for any electronic and information. Sample and bestinpractice accessibility statements can be found at.
Electronic and information technology a requirements for federal departments and agencies 1 accessibility a development, procurement, maintenance, or use of electronic and information technology when developing, procuring, maintaining, or using electronic and information technology, each federal department or agency, including the united states postal service, shall ensure. Electronic and information technology a requirements for federal departments and agencies 1 accessibility. Access board published a final rule updating accessibility requirements for information and communication technology ict covered by section 508 of the rehabilitation act and section 255 of the communications act. Establishes a postal service information technology infrastructure that. September 2012 section 508 report to the president and congress. As we increase our reliance on electronic information systems to help us manage information and costs, improve service, and carry out our.
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