Resources

DoD and Component Section 508 Compliance Statement

U.S. Access Board

  • The U.S. Access Board, develops and maintains design criteria for the built environment, transit vehicles, telecommunications equipment, medical diagnostic equipment, and IT. The U.S. Access Board’s ICT accessibility standards codified in Part 1194 of Title 36, CFR. Their official website is https://www.access-board.gov.
  • The U.S. Access Board’s revised Section 508 standards can be found at https://www.access-board.gov/ict.
  • Baseline tests of ICT attempt to reduce ambiguity, increase consistency of results, and emphasize methods and techniques to reliably meet federal accessibility requirements. They are at https://ictbaseline.access-board.gov.

Selected Section 508 Standard References

GSA Section 508 Web Resources

  • The GSA Section 508 web portal serves as a central hub for Section 508 training, information, and tools. DoD Component Program Managers can access each of the topic specific courses that address Section 508 implementation and explore web links and a glossary of Section 508-related terms. Their website is https://www.section508.gov.
  • The technology accessibility playbook provides a framework for the integration of strategic, business and technology management to ensure us federal government technology is accessible for people with disabilities. The playbook contains twelve key “plays” drawn from successful practices in the government and private sector. The plays are listed in the order they should be considered; however, all the plays are interdependent. Maturing a Section 508 program requires an iterative approach to implementing the plays across an agency. It is provided at https://www.section508.gov/manage/playbooks/technology-accessibility-playbook-intro.
  • The ART is a step-by-step guide to help identify applicable requirements from the Section 508 Standards and incorporate them into procurement and contracting documentation. The ART can be found at https://www.section508.gov/art.
  • The solicitation review tool provides requiring officials and acquisition reviewers the ability to validate that Section 508 requirements are correctly identified. It can be found at https://www.section508.gov/buy/solicitation-review-tool.
  • The Open ACR Editor helps evaluators build ACRs in the OpenACR format (opens in a new window or tab). It is designed to help accessibility subject matter experts create machine-readable OpenACR documents. Authors are guided in creating an accessible report for the digital product or service that they are documenting. Conformance for each requirement can be documented as required to generate a Section 508 report. It can be found at https://acreditor.section508.gov.

Training and Certification Resources

  • The GSA provides a list of online training resources related to Section 508 compliance at https://www.section508.gov/training-home.
  • The DHS Trusted Tester Conformance Test Process is a manual test approach that aligns with the ICT Testing Baseline and provides repeatable and reliable conformance test results. DHS offers training and formal accessibility testing skills certification for individuals using the DHS Trusted Tester Process. The Trusted Tester Program is a DHS initiative to address Section 508 compliance through increased and more effective testing. A trusted tester is an individual who has taken the DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester online training program and passed the DHS Trusted Tester Certification Exam. The DHS Trust Tester program can be found at https://www.dhs.gov/trusted-tester.
  • The Trusted Tester training portal provides the courses to achieve the Trusted Tester certification, and other Section 508 compliance-related courses. It is available at https://training.section508testing.net.
  • A list of the required testing tools supporting the Trusted Tester process can be found at https://www.dhs.gov/508-tools.
  • SCRT is a browser-based standalone application for recording accessibility test results from Trusted Testers, available at https://github.com/Section508Coordinators/SCRT.
  • IAAP is a membership-based organization of individuals and organizations that supports accessibility professionals and organizations with professional training, certifications, and networking. IAAP provides certifications for accessibility professionals, including accessibility core competencies, web accessibility, and accessible documents. Information on IAAP certification is available at https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/certification-overview.
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires federal agencies to provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, including provisioning of AT and associated support. Further information can be found at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/civil-rights-center/statutes/section-504-rehabilitation-act-of-1973.
  • The Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) Technology and Evaluation Center provides AT and accommodations to support DoD employees with disabilities. CAP helps remove barriers to federal employment by eliminating the cost of AT. Employees with disabilities may schedule an in-person assessment with a CAP representative to explore appropriate solutions. Their website is https://cap.mil.
  • CAP provides a database of various related employment and disability laws and policies at https://cap.mil/disability-laws-and-policy.