Peradeo Blog · United States · Published 2026-08-27 · 6 min read
Section 508 Compliance: What Federal Agencies and Their Vendors Must Do About Web Accessibility
By Vatsal Shah — Founder & CEO, IAAP WAS-Certified Accessibility Professional
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires U.S. federal agencies to make their information and communication technology (ICT) accessible to people with disabilities — employees and members of the public alike. Because the obligation extends to ICT that agencies procure, Section 508 effectively regulates every company that sells software, websites, or digital content to the U.S. federal government.
The Revised 508 Standards
The U.S. Access Board's Revised 508 Standards (in effect since January 18, 2018) modernized the rules by directly incorporating WCAG 2.0 Level AA for web content — and, notably, extending it to non-web electronic documents and software as well. In practice, the standards cover:
- Public-facing agency websites and web applications;
- Internal tools, intranets, and enterprise software used by federal employees;
- Electronic documents (PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) that agencies publish or distribute;
- Hardware and software with user interfaces, including kiosks and mobile apps;
- Support documentation and services.
Federal procurement rules (FAR) require agencies to buy accessible ICT when available, which is why solicitations demand accessibility documentation from vendors.
VPAT and ACR: the documents that win or lose deals
Vendors demonstrate Section 508 conformance with a VPAT® (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template), which when completed becomes an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR). The ACR walks through each WCAG and 508 criterion and states whether the product supports it, partially supports it, or does not. Two things matter:
- Accuracy — agencies test claims, and an ACR that overstates conformance can disqualify a vendor or breach a contract;
- Evidence — a credible ACR is based on a real audit with assistive technologies, not a self-assessment checkbox exercise.
An honest ACR with a remediation roadmap routinely beats a silent competitor: procurement officers need the paperwork to buy from you at all.
Enforcement and adjacent laws
Section 508 complaints can be filed with agencies, and civil actions are available under the Rehabilitation Act. Federal agencies also report on 508 conformance to Congress, keeping internal pressure on procurement. Vendors should note the wider U.S. picture too: the ADA governs state/local government and business websites, and many U.S. states apply "little 508" laws (often WCAG-based) to state procurement.
Practical steps
- Agencies: audit public sites, internal tools, and published documents against the Revised 508 Standards (WCAG 2.0 AA baseline; testing to WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA future-proofs you);
- Vendors: get an independent accessibility audit of your product and produce a defensible ACR/VPAT;
- Remediate high-impact failures first — keyboard access, screen reader semantics, forms, contrast, and document tagging;
- Bake accessibility checks into your development pipeline so each release ships with updated conformance documentation;
- Train content authors — an accessible platform can still publish inaccessible PDFs.
How Peradeo can help
Peradeo is a web accessibility company based in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Our IAAP-certified specialists audit websites and web applications against WCAG 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 AA using real assistive technologies (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver), remediate the issues hands-on as developers, and prepare the compliance documentation — including VPAT® / Accessibility Conformance Reports and accessibility statements — that regulators and procurement teams ask for.
- Learn more about our web accessibility audit & remediation services
- Request a free accessibility check of your website
This article is provided for general information only and is not legal advice. Requirements change over time — consult a qualified lawyer for advice about your specific obligations.