Section 508 Accessibility Readiness Guide
Section 508 readiness helps federal teams and vendors prepare digital products, services, and procurement evidence for accessibility review.
This guide is for general accessibility-readiness planning. It is not legal advice, a certification, or a substitute for manual accessibility and compliance review.
Who this may apply to
- U.S. federal websites and digital services
- Vendors supporting federal agencies
- Procurement and product-readiness documentation
- Internal tools used in federal digital workflows
WCAG relationship
Section 508 technical requirements align closely with WCAG for web content. WCAG-based findings help teams structure remediation before formal review or procurement conversations.
What the readiness check can surface
- Page structure, heading, and landmark readiness issues
- Form-label and error-recovery signals
- Image alternative and link-purpose gaps
- Keyboard, focus, and skip-link readiness signals
- Contrast and responsive interaction issues
What still needs manual review
- Procurement documentation and VPAT-related evidence
- Assistive-technology testing across core workflows
- Non-web documents, PDFs, and multimedia content
- Agency-specific review requirements and acceptance criteria
Common readiness issues
Document links or downloads without accessible alternatives
Tables, forms, or portals with unclear structure
Focus order problems in account or service workflows
Icon-only controls without clear accessible names
Error messages that do not guide recovery
Official sources
FAQ
Who commonly plans around Section 508?
Federal agencies, vendors, and teams supporting federal digital services commonly use Section 508 in accessibility-readiness planning.
Is a readiness scan enough for Section 508 work?
No. A scan can identify practical issues, but procurement evidence, documentation, and manual testing still need separate review.
How does WCAG help with Section 508 planning?
WCAG gives teams technical criteria for structuring findings and remediation work that often aligns with Section 508 web requirements.
What should be checked manually for Section 508?
Manual review should cover full workflows, documents, multimedia, assistive-technology behavior, and procurement-specific evidence.
Related standards
Start with the Website Accessibility Readiness Check
Scan a public URL to find practical accessibility, usability, forms, navigation, and mobile interaction signals before planning manual review.
Run the Website Accessibility Readiness Check