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What Is
Section 508?

Section 508 requires that Federal agencies' electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities. The Center for Information Technology Accommodation (CITA), in the U.S. General Services Administration's Office of Governmentwide Policy, has been charged with the task of educating Federal employees and building the infrastructure necessary to support Section 508 implementation. Using the Section 508 web site, Federal employees and the public can access resources for understanding and implementing the requirements of Section 508.

Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications (1194.22)

The criteria for web-based technology and information are based on access guidelines developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium. Many of these provisions ensure access for people with vision impairments who rely on various assistive products to access computer-based information, such as screen readers, which translate what's on a computer screen into automated audible output, and refreshable Braille displays. Certain conventions, such as descriptive tags or identification of graphics and format devices, like frames, are necessary so that these devices can "read" them for the user in a sensible way. The provisions do not prohibit the use of web site graphics or animation. Instead, they aim to ensure that such information is also available in an accessible format. Generally, this means use of text labels or descriptors for graphics and certain format elements. (HTML code already provides an ALT tag for graphics which can serve as a descriptor for graphics). This section also addresses the usability of web-based multimedia presentations, image maps, style sheets, scripting languages, applets and plug-ins, and electronic forms.

Section 508 applies to Federal web sites but not to private sector web sites (unless a site is provided under contract to a Federal agency, in which case only that web site or portion covered by the contract would have to meet the applicable technical provisions; the contractor's own web site that is not part of the "contract deliverables" would not have to meet the provisions.).

Accessible sites offer significant advantages that go beyond ensuring usability for people with disabilities. Someone without a disability who wants to be able to download a Federal web page faster can turn off graphics and still receive a comprehensible web page. Sites that meet the Access Board's technical provisions can facilitate transmission of web-based data to cell phones and personal digital assistants.