Section 508 compliance is conformance to Section 508, which is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and requires all federal organizations to give their employees with disabilities as well as members of the public who have disabilities access to information comparable to the others.
Examples of information and communication technology (ICT) covered under Section 508 include computers, telecommunication equipment, multifunction office machines such as copiers that operate as printers, software, websites, information kiosks and transaction machines, and electronic documents.
Why you should care about Section 508 compliance
Apart from federal organizations, many private businesses are increasingly striving to have their ICT, including online content, ADA Section 508 compliant. Any business dealing with digital products and services must adhere to 508 accessibility standards for the content they share on their website and the final product they share with their clients.
Section 508 compliance is now not only helpful for target audiences but also holds many benefits for businesses, which is why if you have a business, you need to care about it. Some of the benefits of 508 compliance include the following:
Section 508 focuses only on the federal agencies. It is recommended that businesses that receive funding or associate with government agencies adhere to the accessibility standards for 508 compliance. It will assist in lowering the possibility of a lawsuit and the costs or penalties connected with it for your company.
Businesses that strive to raise their accessibility standards demonstrate that they value their customers more than just their bottom line. It cultivates a reputation for social responsibility and fosters user trust in your brand. It adds to a favorable and approachable brand image and represents the moral principles of the company.
In America, one in four adults has a disability of some kind. A large portion of your target audience is probably being missed if your material does not adhere to accessibility guidelines. Making sure that all of your consumers with disabilities choose your brand over competitors' will require completing 508 compliance testing before releasing any content, technology, or product onto the market.
In the event that a sizable portion of your intended market is unable to obtain the product or service details, you can have to invest a lot of time, energy, and financial resources in responding to their inquiries. To educate this segment of your audience, you might need to commit additional resources. Customers can access the information independently with the use of material that complies with 508, saving time, money, and effort.
It's imperative that your company optimize its Internet presence. Enhancing ADA compliance through work on 508 compliance makes your material more search engine-friendly. You must include heading tags, alt text for images, transcripts for audio and video content, and a consistent content structure for improved 508 compliance. Enhancing accessibility increases the likelihood that your website's organic search rankings will raise.
Following Section 508 accessibility guidelines can help elevate your customers' experience, much like it can benefit your content's SEO. Having a well-designed and consistent content structure will make it easier for consumers to locate the information they need. By providing inclusivity and clarity to all users who access your website, services, or products, it will improve the user experience.
In the US, no company would want to pass up the chance to collaborate with a federal agency. Typically, national organizations enter into long-term contracts with private businesses and buy goods or services in bulk. You must start immediately adhering to Section 508 if you want to set up your company to be eligible for commercial prospects with the US government.
Performing ongoing accessibility audits of your products, services, and content could yield some insightful findings. Your product designers may be able to innovate and enhance your offering to better cater to all segments of the market with the help of these data.
Need help with Section 508 accessibility?
If you need help with Section 508 accessibility, including the development of 508-compliant websites, call ADACP at (626) 486-2201, and you will be matched with a Section 508 consultant who will assist you in all your ADA Section 508 compliance issues.
What is hardware VPAT?
A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a document that explains how information and communication technology (ICT) products and services, such as software, hardware, electronic content, and support documentation, conform to the Revised 508 Standards for IT accessibility. Hardware VPAT is a document used during Section 508 certification to document how hardware meets the Revised 508 Standards for IT accessibility.
This article serves to increase your awareness and demystify the process of Section 508 testing using hardware VPAT, regardless of your experience level with Section 508 compliance requirements.
Guide to completing hardware VPAT after Section 508 audit
Hardware VPAT is a representation of how a given piece of hardware meets the applicable 508 compliance requirements. The hardware owner must first undertake Section 508 testing of the product against the 508 compliance requirements in order to complete the VPAT. Here are the steps to guide you on how to go about this:
Step 1: Download the hardware VPAT
The hardware VPAT is a free template that may be downloaded by going to the ITI website. At the bottom of the webpage, you will find four editions of the document: VPAT 2.x Rev, EU, INT, 508, and WCAG. You will choose the edition that is relevant to the market in which you want your hardware sold.
Step 2: Complete the VPAT title page
The hardware VPAT begins with several pages of instructions. Read the instructions carefully and remove the instruction pages when submitting the completed hardware VPAT. The following information must be provided: Name of the hardware and version number, if applicable; report date; description of the hardware; contact information; additional notes (if any); and evaluation methods.
For the hardware description category or categories that encompass the hardware, you must use one of four phrases—supports, partially supports, does not support, or is not applicable—to describe the hardware’s level of conformance.
Step 3: Determine the applicability of the Revised Section 508 Technical Standards
There are four Revised Section 508 tables labelled as Chapters 3, 4, and 6. Complete the applicable ones. If there are functions in the hardware not addressed by Chapters 4 or 5, then your hardware needs to conform to the criteria in Chapter 3: Functional Performance Criteria. But for all hardware products, you must complete Chapter 4: Hardware.
Step 4: Final Checklist
Make sure that you perform a final check to make sure you have completely filled out the hardware VPAT. That includes checking whether you have used the correct version of the VPAT, ensuring that you have excluded the first several pages of instructions and have deleted the instruction pages from the completed VPAT; the information fields at the top of the VPAT are duly completed; and, if applicable, you have completed the Success Criteria, Level A, and Level AA tables. Also check whether you have used the correct phrases to describe the conformance levels for the accessibility hardware, and make sure you have completed the applicable Revised Section 508 table.
You should also countercheck whether you have completed the remarks column, and in areas where you have indicated the conformance level as either “Partially Supports” or “Does Not Support,” you should have explained further in the respective remarks column. Also check whether your final filled-out VPAT is accessible and remediate as necessary.
Need a Section 508 consultant to help you with your hardware VPAT?
Completing your hardware VPAT could be intimidating if you have never done VPAT completion before. You don’t have to struggle alone in silence because you can be assisted in filling out the VPAT by a trusted Section 508 consultant. Call ADACP at (626) 486-2201 to be assisted with getting a Section 508 consultant to assist you in filling out your hardware VPAT.
Accessibility is essential because millions of individuals grapple with disabilities. Laws, like Section 508, enforce accessibility. Such laws mandate that federal agencies or any other organization that receives funding from federal agencies follow the accessibility guidelines. However, this law encompasses not just software and websites but also hardware.
In the context of the revised Section 508 Hardware accessibility testingbecomes pivotal. It ensures that both software and hardware are accessible. In today’s blog, we shed light on the nature of hardware accessibility testing, its methods, and its role in fostering inclusivity in the digital world.
What is Hardware VPAT Testing?
Hardware VPAT Testing, or Voluntary Product Accessibility Template Testing, is a comprehensive evaluation process to assess the accessibility of physical devices and equipment.
The VPAT document follows industry standards like Section 508. It outlines how a product conforms to accessibility criteria. So VPAT testing for a hardware ensures that it is usable by individuals with disabilities. VPAT testing of a hardware should be done by experienced accessibility professionals because it covers crucial aspects such as user interfaces, controls, and displays.
For instance, there is a touchscreen kiosk designed for public use. During Hardware VPAT Testing, the kiosk's touch controls, font size, color contrast, and audio outputs are tested. Testing confirms that individuals with varying abilities can effectively interact with the device. The resulting VPAT document would detail the kiosk's level of compliance with accessibility standards.
How is hardware VPAT testing done?
The hardware audit for VPAT documentation can be done in the following phases:
Is it worth investing in hardware accessibility audit
How often should you get hardware accessibility certification?
Once the hardware meets accessibility standards, it receives certification. The certification affirms its compliance and readiness for public use.
The duration of hardware testing can range from several weeks to a few months. Just make sure you go for thorough and accurate assessment. It is advisable to seek certification whenever there are significant changes to the hardware or relevant accessibility guidelines. This ensures ongoing compliance with the latest standards and regulations.
Conclusion
Hardware VPAT Testing and Certification is crucial for equitable access to digital technologies. Evaluate a diverse range of hardware products and make technology accessible to all. Choose ADACP to confirm Section 508 compliance. Their audit experts are known for accurate and thorough hardware accessibility testing.
What is a VPAT?
A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template, or VPAT, is a document that enables an organization to assess the accessibility of its digital properties—hardware, software, and electronic content—to people with disabilities using the Revised Standards outlined in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 508). With the VPAT, a business may offer a thorough examination of its compliance with Section 508. This is because the template lists the essential accessibility requirements of Section 508 and provides a means for businesses to clarify how they meet each need.
A business needs to explain in detail in the VPAT table fields how the features and functionality of its products comply with all technical requirements of accessibility standards, such as Section 508, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0 or ISO/IEC 40500), the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1), or EN 301 549 for businesses that sell to customers in Europe or Australia.
In general, the duly filled-out VPAT clearly describes how a business's digital properties are accessible to people with disabilities and certifies that the business has taken all required measures to make sure that its products are fully accessible to people with disabilities.
Why the VPAT is used
The VPAT is used by buyers and other contracting officials to assess a business’ information and communication technology (ICT) products for accessibility as well as probing the existence of any flaws. Owing to its comprehensive, criterion-by-criterion structure, the VPAT makes it easier for contracting officers and purchasers to conduct initial evaluations of an IT vendor's solutions.
VPATs frequently underpin a business's Request for Proposal (RFP) process, which is the method by which businesses express interest in acquiring a valued asset, service, or product and request bids from possible suppliers in order to do so. The VPAT is extremely relevant to any company that is a provider of electronic information technology (EIT) that can or will be used by federal workers. Section 508 mandates that all products used by federal employees must be compliant with its’ listed Standards.
The section 508 accessibility is used to document the accessibility of EIT products and services that require Section 508 compliance. Section 508 is applicable to many different types of businesses and goods. A corporation is considered federally financed if someone who receives direct or indirect funding from the federal government utilizes its products. In this case, Section 508 may be applicable. Having said that, it is quite probable that many businesses are missing out on prospective business as a result of their failure to comply with Section 508 or to create a VPAT 508 report that clearly and sufficiently describes their compliance.
The responsibilities of buyers and sellers in the 508 compliance VPAT
Businesses are required to supply buyers of their EIT products or services with the VPAT 508 conformance report if the buyers ask to see them in respect of a specific product or set of products. A company's products must be accessible to people with disabilities, and this is a shared duty between buyers and sellers.
On the part of buyers, it is important for them to do their research before requesting to view a company's 508 compliance VPAT since it will help determine whether or not the products meet federal accessibility requirements. Assuming that a company's Section 508 VPAT is a real and accurate representation of how accessible its digital properties are, many buyers simply take the VPAT 508 document provided to them at face value. That is not right. Instead, they should study the document carefully enough to be confident in their decision-making (and safety).
In a similar vein, a business must truthfully, completely, and accurately disclose all relevant information on the accessibility—or lack thereof—of its offerings. Businesses want to keep their flaws in products under wraps, even if they are minor ones that they are attempting to fix, because doing so could seriously hurt or even completely stop their sales. Companies nevertheless have a responsibility to disclose all relevant information about the accessibility of their products and services, even in the face of the fact that they’re taking a risk on their part by doing so.
The best way to guarantee satisfaction for both the buyer and the seller is for both parties to enter into a commitment: sellers agree to disclose information truthfully, and buyers agree to use reasonable care when determining how easily accessible a seller's products are, so as to avoid penalizing complying sellers.
For sellers, it helps to learn how to disclose the accessibility of products and services from a credible Section 508 VPAT example. Using such an example will result in a VPAT Section 508 compliance statement that aligns with the twin responsibilities of the buyer and the seller in the 508-compliance square.
Need help with your VPAT 508 compliance certification?
If you need assistance filling out the Section 508 VPAT for your products or services or to firm up your VPAT Section 508 compliance statement, ADACPcan help. You can reach them at (626) 486-2201 so as to schedule a free consultation regarding how they can be of help.
What is 508 certification?
508 certification is a term used in reference to the assessment by a Section 508 compliance consultant of how an information and communication technology (ICT) product or service is based on the accessibility hardware standards. It involves auditing and documenting how the various aspects of an ICT product or service conform to Section 508 compliance requirements.
Contrary to the norm where a certificate is issued in testimony of a certain certification and the entity receiving the certification is charged by the body issuing the certification, 508 certification does not involve the issuance of certification, and neither is there any awarding entity or organization.
Section 508 certification essentially summarizes an ICT product or service’s level of compliance with the revised Section 508 compliance requirements. A 508 certification could take the form of a Statement of Accessibility, a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) Statement, or a Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Conformance Claim, which are all underpinned by the established and ever-dynamic 508 accessibility standards.
What are Section 508 accessibility standards?
Section 508 accessibility standards are part of the Federal Acquisition Regulations aimed at ensuring access for people with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities. The revised 508 standards became effective in 2018 and incorporate WCAG 2.0, which is an international standard.
The standards address cognitive, language, and learning disabilities; are organized by functionality and not product type; include operating systems and authoring systems; and require software and operating systems to interoperate with assistive technologies, such as screen magnification and refreshable Braille displays. The standards adopt WCAG 2.0 at Levels A and AA for websites, electronic content, tools, and apps.
How to get 508 certified
Getting 508 certified begins with ensuring that you meet all the requirements of ADA Section 508 compliance and conducting regular accessibility assessments that enable you to make necessary accessibility adjustments. It is also advisable that you have a clear and well-documented accessibility policy in place and provide accessibility training for your employees, including designers and developers of your products and services.
Here are the trusted ways you can get your ICT product or service certified for ADA Section 508 compliance:
Section 508 compliance testing tools can help you get 508 certified. The tools can be used to scan your product or service, e.g., website or app, for free, identify the present accessibility issues, and provide you with specific, easy-to-understand instructions on how to fix the identified issues. All you need to do is insert the page URL of the product or service you want to scan, and the tool will do the rest for you.
While it is advisable to take advantage of the existing high-volume ADA Section 508 compliance testing tools, you should be aware of their limitations. The tools cannot apply human subjectivity to Hardware accessibility testing and therefore either produce excessive false positives or, when configured to eliminate false positives, test for only a small portion of the Section 508 compliance requirements.
When using 508 compliance-testing tools, ensure that you select tools that test using the document’s native format. That is because a number of these tools often convert files into HTML before testing, which often reduces the fidelity and accuracy of the conformance testing. It may therefore be helpful that you deploy multiple scanning tools to cover multiple content types to enhance the quality of your 508 certification.
You can get 508 certified by contracting an ADA Section 508 compliance expert to perform a manual evaluation of your ICT product or service. That involves looking for potential accessibility barriers in your product or service and making the necessary adjustments.
Professional 508 certification consultants usually document the 508 assessments they perform on products and services and use them to inform any necessary updates to the product or service as well as their development processes, so as to ensure continued compliance with Section 508. 508 certification professionals may decide to conduct user testing with individuals who have disabilities so as to obtain feedback on the accessibility of the product or service.
A quick guide to conforming to 508 accessibility standards
Here is a quick guide to enable you to easily conform to the Section 508 accessibility standards and get 508 certified:
Create a consistent 508-compliance design concept
Ensure that the concept you create as the basis for your ICT product or service is clean, concise, and remains uncluttered. Asking yourself key 508 accessibility questions, such as whether a section of an ICT product or service’s intended customers may struggle to access the product or service described in the concept, can help create or develop products or services that are accessible.
Choose the right colours
Be mindful of the colour contrast you use in your product or service. That is because many of the intended users of the product or service who are colour-blind can see clearly, but colours appear different from what you may see.
Be mindful of font sizes
For 508-compliant products and services, pay attention to the font size of your design. Don’t go too small. You could either add the option for users to change the font size or use a minimum font size of 12pt or above.
Provide easy navigation with keystrokes
Keep in mind that for some users or your product or service, it could be difficult to navigate with a mouse. To achieve 508 compliance, ensure that your product or service can be accessed using a keyboard only.
Need help getting your product or service 508 certified?
Don’t let 508 certification be an afterthought in your business or operations. Embrace the ideas in this article to make a difference for all users of your ICT products or services while fulfilling your ADA Section 508 compliance obligations. You can get help to make your products and services accessible and inclusive right from the start.
If you have any questions or would like to see a demo of how to get 508 certified, please feel free to reach out to ADACP by calling (626) 486-2201 today to schedule a free consultation on how to get 508 certified.
What is Section 508 compliance?
Section 508 compliance is the legal requirement that federal agencies and federally funded organizations ensure that the information and communication technology (ICT) they create, acquire, maintain, or use allows people with disabilities to access information and data.
Section 508 compliance versus ADA compliance
Understanding the essentials of Section 508 compliance requires some background knowledge about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA is a civil rights law that was signed into law on July 26, 1990, and prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
The ADA is divided into three titles: the first one concerns employment, the second one concerns state and local governments, and the third one refers to public accommodations and commercial facilities. More generally, the ADA sets out rules prohibiting discrimination in all areas of public life. It aims to ensure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.
The ADA was enacted after people with disabilities began to challenge the societal barriers that cause them to be excluded from society because of their disabilities and when parents of children with disabilities started fighting against the exclusion of their children. As a ground-breaking civil rights law, the ADA sets rules to help guarantee that people with disabilities enjoy the same guarantees as everyone else in terms of employee rights, but also establishes rules regarding the responsibilities of employers.
Section 508 applies to federal agencies and any organization that receives funding from the federal government, including suppliers and contractors. It mandates organizations to ensure that all of their digital communications meet Section 508’s compliance levels, which in practice means that they must conform to Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
While the ADA and Section 508 exist to ensure equal rights for people with disabilities, they are not the same legislation. The most important distinction between the ADA and Section 508 is that the ADA applies to businesses open to the public as well as state and local governments, whereas Section 508 applies to federal organizations.
Though both pieces of legislation apply to accessibility, being Section 508-compliant does not automatically mean your product or service is ADA-compliant, and vice versa. That is why, as a business owner or leader of a federal organization or entity that receives federal funding, you need to know about meeting compliance requirements for both the ADA and Section 508.
How to achieve Section 508 compliance
Unlike the ADA, Section 508 has a clear standard for compliance. For example, if you want your business or organization to comply with Section 508, you should ensure that your ICT products or services conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA. It is noteworthy to point out that under Section 508, organizations are required to document their ICT products or services’ level of conformance by completing a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT).
Many businesses and organizations strive to achieve ADA compliance as well as conform to Section 508 accessibility requirements. ADA compliance 508 consciousness ensures an organization or business does not get caught up with the risks associated with a lack of compliance with any of the legislation.
Working with accessibility consultants who understand how to deliver the Americans with Disabilities Act Section 508 compliance intricacies can help you avoid the legal consequences of not conforming to the ADA while enhancing your opportunities for working with federal organizations because of conformance with Section 508.
Do we have ADA Section 508 web accessibility requirements?
While the ADA does not have its own web accessibility guidelines outlined in law, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has suggested that the WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the gold standard websites should reach in order to be considered accessible. Unlike the ADA, which uses the most recent WCAG 2.1 standards, Section 508 requires websites to meet Level AA from the earlier WCAG 2.0 version.
With the exception of federal government websites or websites of government contractors, most organizations do not have to meet Section 508 web accessibility requirements. However, the good news is that if your website is meeting WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards as recommended by the ADA, you are already meeting Section 508 standards as well. That is because the WCAG 2.1 standards are built upon the WCAG 2.0 standards.
Need help testing your product or service for ADA compliance 508?
You can test your website or any of your ICT products or services for ADA compliance or for Section 508 compliance using appropriate approaches drawn from three categories: manual, automated, or hybrid.
If your product or service is online, you can use an ADA Section 508 compliance checker that your peers have favorably rated and by relying on expert service providers, like ADACP. Begin the discussion about ADA Section 508 compliance needs by calling ADACP at (626) 486-2201 today so as to schedule a free consultation on the same.
What is a 508 compliance checker?
A 508 compliance checklist is an online tool that can assess the accessibility of technological goods or services. The checker determines if the product or service complies with the established Section 508 compliance requirements.
The Website Compliance Checker, the Section 508 Compliance Checklist, the Section 508 Compliance Test, and the Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool (WAVE) are just a few of the online 508 compliance checkers available to help you verify your digital property’s Section 508 compliance.
A 508 checker comes in handy during the Section 508 audit to flag out areas that require focused attention during manual accessibility testing. It saves time and resources by enabling the compliance auditor to focus his or her assessment on the areas flagged out as having accessibility issues.
How a seamless user experience starts with designing for Section 508 compliance
Looking forward to beginning or continuing the complex, iterative, and multi-faceted accessibility journey for your digital products and services? Are you passionate about not just getting that 508 compliance certification but also delivering a seamless experience for users of your digital products and services? You can never go wrong with fidelity to the Section 508 compliance website.
Right from the design of your digital product or service, you need to work closely with the 508 compliance checklist so that every step you take has accessibility mainstreamed into it.
Being guided by the checklist will guarantee inclusivity and equal access for your product or service, legal compliance and protection from lawsuits, an expanded user base and market reach, enhanced corporate social responsibility and brand reputation, early detection of accessibility issues as well as areas to enable you to save costs, and overall compliance with industry standards.
Whether you are at the design stage for your digital product or service or are undertaking the crucial Section 508 audit, a 508-compliance checker will be handy because of the following reasons:
(a) Efficiency
A good 508-compliance checker will provide the effectiveness you need to provide customers of your product or service with seamless experiences. Your digital property can be instantly scanned to identify any potential accessibility obstacles.
As a result of the time and effort that good 508 compliance checks save you, you can concentrate on correcting the problems they find rather than spending a lot of time manually doing a Section 508 audit of them.
(b) Consistency
A good 508 compliance checker will use pre-set criteria to assess your digital material and guarantee that you maintain consistency in your Section 508 audit process. All parts in your digital property are evaluated uniformly across all platforms and devices thanks to the checkers' elimination of the possibility of human error.
When changes or upgrades are made, a competent 508-compliance checker will make it simple to retest your digital property. This guarantees continued 508 compliance and a satisfying user experience.
(c) Comprehensive coverage
A competent 508-compliance checker will also give you thorough coverage because it examines all the different components of your digital property, such as text, photos, videos, interactive features, forms, and interactive elements. Additionally, it looks for standard accessibility problems including color contrast, keyboard usability, and screen reader compatibility.
(e) Documentation and reporting
Another benefit of employing a trustworthy 508 compliance checker is that it will give you thorough, in-depth reports outlining any accessibility problems discovered in your digital property. It will also make recommendations for how to fix any accessibility problems.
Need help identifying a reliable 508 compliance checker or partner?
If you’re looking for a reliable 508 compliance checker or partner to assist you with your Section 508 compliance certification, ADACP can help. They're leading digital property accessibility professionals and offer end-to-end accessibility testing and remediation services.
ADACP’s team of experts uses the latest tools and techniques to ensure your digital properties comply with the established 508 compliance requirements for credible 508 compliance certification. Find out more about how they can assist you by calling (626) 486-2201 or scheduling a Section 508 consult.
What is 508 compliance?
508 compliance, which is the short form for Section 508 compliance, is a term used in reference to conformance with the requirement by Section 508 for digital products and services provided by or offered to federal organizations to be accessible for people with disabilities. It is frequently used to help provide guidelines to entities that both want and need their digital products and services to be accessible.
Before delving into what the impact of 508-compliance is on user experience and engagement, let’s ensure that everyone reading this article understands Section 508 and the 508-compliant design of digital products and services.
What is Section 508?
The question, “What is Section 508?” often lingers in the minds of many people who join the digital and accessibility space, as they may not have been accustomed to it in their previous disciplines. It is therefore essential to bring these individuals on board before delving into other facets of Section 508 compliance.
Section 508 is part of a 1998 amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It requires all federal agencies to procure, maintain, and use electronic information technology (EIT) that is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
What is the 508-compliant design of digital products and services?
508-compliant design of digital products and services refers to conformance to the established Section 508 compliance testing when designing the products and services.
To ensure conformity with Section 508, the U.S. Access Board, which is an independent federal agency, develops and maintains standards that must be met to achieve Section 508 compliance and helps to deliver 508-compliant digital products and services.
How 508 compliance impacts user experience and engagement
Designing EIT products and services with 508 compliance requirements in mind is not just about meeting legal accessibility requirements or catering to the needs of users with disabilities. Rather, it is about creating inclusive and intuitive experiences that deliver benefits to every user of the EIT product or service. Some of the key impacts of 508 compliance on user experience and engagement are as follows:
(a) Usability
508-compliance precipitates accessibility, which, in turn, is a critical aspect of EIT product or service user experience and engagement design that has immense potential to lead to better usability of the product or service as well as unquestionable user satisfaction.
Usability, which is a key outcome of 508 compliance, is the degree to which an EIT product or service can be used by its intended users to effectively and satisfactorily achieve their goals. 508-compliance plays a significant role toward achieving better usability by removing barriers to access and enabling all users to engage with or interact with the product or service effortlessly.
(b) User-centric design of EIT products and services
508-compliance ensures that when EIT products and services are designed for accessibility, their designers consider the needs of users with various disabilities and how they will experience and engage with the product or service based on their state. This user-centric design of EIT products and services ends up benefiting all users, not just those with disabilities.
(c) User satisfaction
Designing EIT products and services to conform to Section 508 compliance requirements can also lead to better user satisfaction. Section 508 compliance helps to create inclusive experiences and engagements that enable the enhancement of satisfaction for all users.
For example, designing EIT products and services for users with visual disabilities by using high contrast and ALT text for images can make the content experiential and engagingly accessible for all users, including those with good vision. Similarly, when content is designed using simple language, clear navigation, and consistent design so as to cater for users with cognitive disabilities, it can end up helping all users to understand and navigate the product or service better.
(d) User retention
Section 508 compliance also has a positive impact on user retention. The accessibility delivered by 508-compliance not only helps to increase the number of users of a 508-compliant product or service by bringing on board those who were previously excluded, but also retains the existing users because of the delivered user experience.
Need assistance with designing your digital products for the user experience?
Designing your digital products and services for 508-compliance has impactful benefits for businesses or organizations, as well as for users of the products or services. It helps you create inclusive experiences by removing access barriers and enabling users to have an experiential and effortless interaction with the product or service.
If you need help designing 508-compliant products or services, ADACP can assist you with how to consider the needs of users with various disabilities so you can effectively design for accessibility. Discuss this with them by calling (626) 486-2201.
What is Section 508 accessibility?
Section 508 accessibility is a term used in reference to the requirement under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act that all federal agencies ensure that their information and communication technology (ICT) is accessible to people with disabilities, unless certain exceptions apply.
If you are a federal agency, an organization that gets federal funding, or a service provider to federal or federally funded organizations, you need to comply with Section 508 compliance requirements.
At present, Section 508 compliance applies to software and online digital properties like websites and web-based applications, online documents, video and audio content, and social media posts. For Section 508 compliance, these must be able to be accessed and used by people with disabilities.
What is 508 compliance, and why does it matter?
what is 508 compliant compliance is a requirement for ICT products and services to be accessible to people with disabilities. Compliance has been put in place to provide guidance to organizations that both want and need to be accessible.
The disabilities that ought to be accounted for when considering 508 compliance include physical disabilities, hearing disabilities, visual disabilities, and cognitive disabilities, among others.
There are a number of reasons why being Section 508 compliant is critical and helpful for federal organizations and the entities that receive federal funding or are contracted by federal agencies and federally funded organizations. Importantly, 508 compliance makes it easier for federal employees who have disabilities to do their work effectively because it helps to remove the technical barriers that would otherwise impede their work.
Section 508 compliance also helps to ensure that ICT that is made available benefits a substantial number of people who would otherwise be unable to access it. It therefore ensures that people with disabilities are able to access the information they need, complete tasks, or undertake purchases online, just like anyone else.
Section 508 compliance is also important because it protects an entity from the threat of facing legal action. This means that adhering to the Section 508 compliance requirements can provide business owners with the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their businesses or organizations are doing what is expected of them in the eyes of the law.
Section 508 compliance checklist
Section 508 of the compliance checklist covers ICT products and services governed by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the accessibility requirements articulated in the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT).
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The guidelines are one of the most treasured checklists when it comes to matters of web accessibility. WCAG also contains instructions regarding how to configure other online content, such as videos and online documents, so as to make them accessible to people with disabilities.
Conformance to the WCAG accessibility requirements is at three levels: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. Level A has the most elementary accessibility requirements, while Level AA is the conformance level referenced in many accessibility rules and regulations worldwide. Level AAA is the most advanced accessibility level and contains requirements that are hardest to attain.
For your website or web-based product or service to be Section 508 compliant website, it must conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA. To conform to this level of accessibility, the ICT product or service must meet the requirements of completing and updating a VPAT that contains the appropriate checklist.
For websites and web-based products and services, the checklist requires that you provide text alternatives for non-text content, alternatives to video-only and audio-only content, captions for videos with audio, as well as ensuring a high contrast between text sections and their backgrounds.
The checklist list also requires one to define the language used on a web page, ensure all website functionality is operable via keyboard, and ensure that when website visitors are met with time limitations, the time limit can be adjusted. It also has requirements that provide for minimization of distractions, allowing website visitors to turn off or postpone interruptions, and the need to ensure the site has no flashing content that could induce seizures, among others.
Need more information and help with 508 compliance-accessible websites?
ADACP readily provides information and helps with 508 compliance-accessible websites. You can reach them by calling (626) 486-2201 to arrange a free consultation or request a quick website Section 508 compliance quote.
What is 508 testing?
If you are part of the federal ecosystem of organizations or agencies, or you are doing business with one or more of these organizations, then your organization or business is required to comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. This compliance entails 508 testing of all information and communication technology (ICT) products or services that you create, procure, maintain, or use. But what is this testing, and how does it look in practice?
508 testing is a service that provides one-time or ongoing accessibility support to ensure the Section 508 accessibility requirements are integrated into an organization's or business’ ICT products and services. It actually gets the edge over its competitors by ensuring that its products or services are Section 508-compliant.
Making all ICT products and services accessible to everyone is the ultimate goal of Section 508 testing. Indeed, it is not just ethical to ensure products and services are accessible to everyone, but a smart business move as well.
Non-compliance with Section 508 can lead to heavy fines for the non-compliant entities, and even the private entities that do business with the federal organizations risk losing their contracts on account of non-compliance with 508. That is why 508 testing is very important.
But while planning your 508 compliance testing, you should consider the credibility of the 508 compliance certification that you get. Contracting a Section 508 compliance tester who is not experienced and certified might place the credibility of your 508 testing at stake. A good 508 compliance tester professionally takes your ICT products or services through every stage of the 508 testing, which effectively interrogates every aspect of the product or service in light of the Revised Section 508 Standards.
Here is how Section 508 compliance testing can effectively be delivered.
There are three ways in which 508 testing is delivered: the manual testing method, the automated testing method, and the hybrid testing method.
Manual 508 compliance testing is usually conducted by a professional 508 compliance tester who audits the targeted ICT product or service’s features and technologies against the established accessibility standards.
Given that this approach to 508 compliance testing relies on manual efforts, it tends to be more time-consuming but can also provide you with invaluable qualitative results. You can use the data obtained to create a plan on how to resolve the accessibility issues established.
When conducting a manual Section 508 audit, the compliance tester checks your ICT product or service to establish if it meets the relevant accessibility requirements or standards.
For digital products like websites, testers may use assistive technologies like screen readers to ensure the content on the site can be interpreted by the assistive technologies. They then explore the user experience for users with various disabilities.
An experienced 508 compliance tester will examine the compatibility of an ICT product or service with the major disability categories, including physical disabilities, hearing disabilities, visual disabilities, and cognitive disabilities.
Automated testing involves incorporating automated accessibility checkers or tools to assess the state of a digital asset’s 508 compliance. The effectiveness of automated 508 testing is felt when it comes to its advantages of speed and reduced cost.
If you have big websites or websites that have large volumes of data, as in the case of platforms for online shopping, automated testing can effectively deliver quick and cost-effective 508 testing results.
A hybrid testing approach for Section 508 compliance integrates both the manual testing approach and the automated approach. This approach to Section 508 compliance testing is mostly effective when you want to have an idea about the accessibility issues that you should focus on when contracting the services of a manual 508 compliance tester.
The automated testing process helps to flag out the accessibility barriers that are rampant in the ICT product or service, which can be used when discussing with an accessibility consultant the areas to focus on when undertaking a manual audit as part of a time-saving and cost-management measure.
Need help determining the most effective 508 testing approach to adopt?
The manual, automatic, and hybrid 508 testing approaches have their own unique niche areas where their effectiveness is most pronounced. It required an accessibility professional who has worked with each of them under various circumstances to help you decide on the most effective approach for testing your product or service.
ADACP is always ready to offer assistance to businesses that need help deciding on the best testing method for their unique circumstances. You can reach them by calling (626) 486-2201 to arrange a free consultation. They can also provide you with a quick Section 508 compliance testing quote if you are in need of one.