Section 508 Compliance Services

Imagine how frustrated you’d feel if you weren’t able to participate in a professional development training because you couldn’t hear the speaker or read a work-related document because the text was too small. What if you couldn’t apply for a job because you weren’t able to complete the application due to technical issues with the company’s website? This is the reality for millions of people with disabilities because of inaccessible technology and digital content. Lack of accessibility means people with disabilities often miss out on job opportunities, required training, professional development opportunities, and other essential aspects of daily life.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires federal agencies to ensure information and communication technology (ICT) and digital content is accessible and useable for people with disabilities. This is also known as digital accessibility, which means that anyone can use the technology or access the information, regardless of how much vision they have, how much they can hear, whether or not they can use their hands, or how they process information.

Why is Section 508 Compliance Important?

Compliance is only one reason federal agencies must prioritize accessibility of ICT and digital content. It is also important for:

• Equity and Fairness: Lack of access to ICT and digital content can prevent people with disabilities from participating in education and learning activities, essential programs and services, and the workforce.
• Access to Top Talent: Organizations that are not committed to ensuring digital accessibility risk missing out on top talent and the knowledge, skills, and experience people with disabilities have to offer.
• Meeting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Goals: People with disabilities are an important part of workplace diversity. Recruiting, hiring, retaining, and advancing people with disabilities is essential to ensuring federal agencies can meet their DEIA goals.

The Problem

Many federal agencies lack the staff resources and expertise to effectively and efficiently support Section 508 compliance. Findings from the General Services Administration (GSA) FY 23 Governmentwide Section 508 Assessment indicate that the Federal Government as a whole is not meeting the minimum standard or legal obligation to provide equal access to all members of the public and federal employees with disabilities. One key reason for this lack of compliance is that resources for Section 508 programs are low across the government. More than a third (37.3%) of reporting entities indicated that they have less than one full-time employee devoted to Section 508 compliance.

The GSA report also found that less than 30% of the top ten most viewed federal intranet and internet pages, electronic documents, and videos fully comply with Section 508 standards. Among the recommendations for improvement offered by GSA were increasing Section 508 compliance testing and requiring mandatory annual Section 508 training for staff who create electronic content and digital products or have influence in procurement and development of ICT.

The Solution

Applied Development is committed to ensuring that people of all abilities are empowered to share their brilliance in the workplace. Our comprehensive Section 508 compliance services can support all your agency’s Section 508 compliance needs, from website audits and document remediation to staff training on accessibility basics. We act as trusted accessibility advisors to clients including the Department of Defense (DOD) Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service (DCPAS), offering innovative solutions and expertise in industry best practices to support the accessibility and usability of digital content to ensure federal employees with disabilities and members of the public have equitable access to government information and services.

Applied Development’s Section 508 Compliance Services Include:

• Section 508 Compliance Testing & Auditing
• Remediation Services (including for Multimedia Assets)
• Ongoing Compliance Maintenance
• Creation of Accessible Documents
• Accessibility Consulting & Training

The Applied Development Difference

• Highly Trained & Skilled Staff
• Industry Recognition
• Collaborative Approach
• Innovative Technology