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Resources for understanding and implementing Section 508

You are here: Policies > Federal Agency Policy Guidance and Shared Practices

Federal Agency Policy Guidance and Shared Practices

General Services Administration
http://www.gsa.gov/

Section 508.gov http://www.section508.gov
The OGP, IT Accommodation and Workforce Division manages (Under mandates through the Department of Justice) this one-stop website on 508 law, including information on 508 events, training, agency coordinators and frequently asked questions.

Center for IT Accommodation (CITA) Assistive Technology Office http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=AssistiveTechDevices
GSA's central resource for assistive technology consultations, demonstrations, training and more.

GSA Section 508 and Accessibility http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/105254
This page provides a wealth of information on GSA’s roles and responsibilities, and provides tutorials, guidelines and checklists for web developers and content providers.

GSA Information Technology Acquisition Center (ITAC)
IT Access for Persons with Disabilities http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104530

GSA 508 Tutorials,Guidance,Checklists
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/103565

Lots of "How to" guidance for making documents accessible.

Go To Agencies Beginning with: |A| |C| |D| |F| |G| |I| |N| |O| |S| |U|

Access Board
http://www.access-board.gov

This website is of key importance in Section 508 issues as it was the Access Board that finalized the standards for the law. Here one can access the Final Standards, find a number of helpful overviews, and learn about the development of the law.

Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 http://www.fcc.gov/cib/dro/section255.html - Here you can read the final version of the law and gain understanding of how Section 508 and the Telecommunications act interact with and complement each other for promoting accessibility.

Section 508 Homepage: Electronic and Information Technology http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm

Access Board Training
http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/software-tutorial.htm

Section 508 Tutorial: Developing Accessible Software   << Back To Top

Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov

Section 508 Acquisition FAQs http://www.census.gov/procur/www/508-faq.html

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Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)
http://www.ditco.disa.mil

Section 508 Compliance http://www.ditco.disa.mil/asp/news/ntc_05_01.asp
Acquisition Policy and Guidance http://www.ditco.disa.mil/hq/aqinfo.asp

Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

Office of the Chief Information Officer, Section 508 Home Page http://www.ocio.usda.gov/508/index.html

The TARGET Center - Programs and Services http://www.usda.gov/oo/target
The Center provides needs assessment, accessible computer workstations, and demonstrations.

Agency Policy/ USDA 508 Reference Manual Section 508 Reference Manual.pdf

Interim guidance on section 508 for department of agriculture USDA Interim Guidance

USDA Acquisition Advisories Specific to EIT Acquisitions http://www.da.usda.gov/procurement/policy/advisories.html

Vendor Registration Information http://www.da.usda.gov/procurement/business/ccr_orca.htm

AGAR ADVISORY http://www.usda.gov/procurement/policy/advisories_x/AGARAD49.HTM

Department of Commerce
http://www.commerce.gov/

Office of the Chief Information Officer Policy and Programs, Electronic & IT Accessibility Agency Policy http://ocio.os.doc.gov/ITPolicyandPrograms/IT_Accessibility/index.htm

Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/index.html?src=mr

Assistive Technology http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/assistivetech.html

National Center for Education Statistics (IES) Section 508 Accessibility Working Group http://nces.ed.gov/forum/section508.asp

Office of the Chief Information Officer - Requirements For Accessible Electronic And Information Technology Design http://www.ed.gov/fund/contract/apply/clibrary/software.html

Department Of Energy
http://www.energy.gov/

Department of Energy Section 508 Home Page http://www.cio.energy.gov/services/897.htm

DOE Headquarters Assistive Technologies Program http://cio.energy.gov/services/assistive.htm
Implemented in 1992, the DOE Headquarters Assistive Technologies Program mission rapidly evolved from a reactive support effort for several existing "adaptive" workstations into a valued proactive Department resource for hundreds of DOE employees with a diverse collection of disabilities and impairments.

Department Of Health and Human Services
http://www.hhs.gov/

Office on Disability http://www.hhs.gov/od/index.html
Includes information on 508, procurement and training.

Usability.Gov: Your guide for developing usable and useful Web sites http://www.usability.gov/about/index.html
A Resource for Designing Usable, Useful, and Accessible Interfaces. Usability.gov is the primary government source for information on usability and user-centered design. It provides guidance and tools on how to make Web sites and other communication systems more usable and useful.

Accessibility & Section 508 FAQs http://www.hhs.gov/webrequestfaq/accesibility

HHS Section 508 Evaluation Template Product Accessibility Template (PAT) http://www.hhs.gov/od/vendors/index.html

Authoring Techniques for Accessible Office Documents. HHS acceptance criteria for different electronic document formats - these are 'desk reference' - type guides that are intended to help users create accessible office documents using their existing office applications http://www.hhs.gov/web/508/checklists/

Department of Justice
http://www.usdoj.gov/

Section 508 http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/508/508home.php
This page outlines the law, displays the survey materials the Department is using to assess its level of Section 508 compliance, provides a copy of Janet Reno's comments on Section 508 at FOSE 2000, and links to a report with significant connection to Section 508, entitled, Information Technology and People with Disabilities: The Current State of Federal Accessibility.

ADA Home Page http://www.ada.gov
The Americans with Disabilities Act is covered here in several ways. These include from a view of the ADA from a personal perspective, the aspect of enforcement and overviews on existing, new, and proposed regulations.

Procurement Policies and Practices http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/508/report/procure.htm

Department of Labor
http://www.dol.gov/

Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) http://www.dol.gov/odep
Formerly known as the President's Committee on Employment for People with Disabilities, the ODEP works to increase and improve employment for individuals with disabilities. This office educates, trains, supports, and informs the disability community, employers, and the United States government on all aspects of the area of disability and employment.

DOL Section 508 Home Page http://www.dol.gov/cio/regs/Section508.htm

Department of the Interior
http://www.doi.gov/

Accessible Technology Center http://www.doi.gov/atc
Their mission is to support employees with disabilities by determining the appropriate assistive technology and ergonomic solutions tailored to the needs of each individual. They offer classes in effective web design under Section 508.

DOI OCIO Section 508 Home Page http://www.doi.gov/ocio/section508

Department of the Treasury
http://www.treas.gov/

Office of the Procurement Executive Section 508 http://www.treas.gov/offices/management/dcfo/procurement/508

Department of Transportation
http://www.dot.gov/new/

Section 508 DOT Disability Resource Center http://drc.dot.gov/508.html

DOT OCIO IT Accessibility – Section 508 http://www.dot.gov/citizen_services/disability/disability.html
Hosted by the Chief Information Officer, this site describes the DOT's efforts towards Section 508 compliance.

Department of Veterans Affairs
http://www.va.gov/

Adaptive Training Program http://www.va.gov/oirm/itss/itc/brochsb.htm
Provides PC-based adaptive equipment training, consultations and technical support to veterans and government employees with disabilities. Serving Veterans and Employees with Accessible Electronic and Information Technology, this VA page is hosted by the Chief Information Office and provides helpful resources and describes VA's commitment for universal design in compliance with Section 508 requirements. See VA's process for testing and evaluation of VA web pages at http://www.va.gov/accessible/va508eval/508evaluation-L.asp

Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center
http://adata.org/Static/Home.aspx

The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) has established ten regional centers to provide information, training, and technical assistance to employers, people with disabilities, and other entities with responsibilities under the ADA. The centers act as a "one-stop" central, comprehensive resource on ADA issues in employment, public services, public accommodations, and communications. Each center works closely with local business, disability, governmental, rehabilitation, and other professional networks to provide ADA information and assistance.

Disability.gov Home Page
http://www.disability.gov/

This page is meant to function as a gateway to all other Federal government sites relating to disability. If there is any government disability topic that is not covered on this resource list, but may be covered in a broader forum, this is the first place that you should look.   << Back To Top

Federal Aviation Administration
http://www.faa.gov/

OCIO Section 508 http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/aio/programs/ites/sec_508

Federal Communications Commission
http://www.fcc.gov

Disabilities Rights Office http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro
This office promotes accessibility both internal and external to the Commission particularly in regards to telecommunications equipment by assisting disabled individuals and organizations within the private and public sectors on the required standards.

Section 508 page http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/ab508.html

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General Services Administration
http://www.gsa.gov/

Section 508.gov http://www.section508.gov
The OGP, IT Accommodation and Workforce Division manages (Under mandates through the Department of Justice) this one-stop website on 508 law, including information on 508 events, training, agency coordinators and frequently asked questions.

Center for IT Accommodation (CITA) Assistive Technology Office http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=AssistiveTechDevices
GSA's central resource for assistive technology consultations, demonstrations, training and more.

GSA Section 508 and Accessibility http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/105254
This page provides a wealth of information on GSA’s roles and responsibilities, and provides tutorials, guidelines and checklists for web developers and content providers.

GSA Information Technology Acquisition Center (ITAC)
IT Access for Persons with Disabilities http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104530

GSA 508 Tutorials, Guidance , Checklists
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/103565

Lots of "How to" guidance for making documents accessible.   << Back To Top

Internal Revenue Service
http://www.irs.gov/

IRS.gov Accessibility http://www.irs.gov/accessibility

IRS - Information Resources Accessibility Program
../IRS/index.html

These documents are designed to assist developers and testers, and cover a range of accessibility and Section 508 related issues. If you are new to Section 508, we recommend taking the Section 508 online training course at GSA's 508 Universe website to familiarize yourself with the standards and concepts discussed in these documents.   << Back To Top

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
http://www.nasa.gov/

NASA Section 508 No Barriers http://www.nasa.gov/accessibility/section508/sec508_overview.html

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS)
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

NWS Section 508 Web Tools Guide http://www.nws.noaa.gov/cio/accessibility/section508_web_tools_guide.htm

Standards Pass / Fail Checklist http://www.nws.noaa.gov/sec508/htm/rules.htm

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Office of Compliance
http://www.compliance.gov/

Questions and Answers about Section 508 http://www.compliance.gov/specialfeature/feature_sec508.html

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Social Security Administration
http://www.ssa.gov/

SSA Web Page and Document Accessibility Policy http://www.ssa.gov/webcontent/accessibility.htm
SSA Best Practices for the Web
Checklist for Accessible PDF (Word Doc 725 kb)
Guide to Applying Section 508 Standards - (Word Doc 4.53 mb)
Resources for Software Developers - SSA Accessibility Best Practices Library (HTML Coding Examples), SSA Alternative Text Guide, SSA Accessible Document Authoring Guide , SSA Paper Prototype Accessibility Checklist
Resources for Vendors doing business with SSA - SSA guide to completing a VPAT (tells vendors how to properly complete a VPAT for quality assurance purposes) and SSA guide to applying Section 508 standards (gives vendors a high level understanding of how SSA interprets the existing 508 standards and how we will evaluate their products for conformance to applicable standards)

Standards.gov
http://standards.gov/standards_gov/index.cfm

Standards.Gov offers background materials and useful links for locating information about the use of standards in government. Our primary focus is on federal agency use of standards for regulatory and procurement purposes.   << Back To Top

United States Postal Service (USPS)
http://www.usps.com/

4-5 Integrated Systems Methodology (ISM) Overview http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/hand/as508a/508a_c4.html#508hdr5

Chapter 4: Guiding Steps for the Purchase of an EIT Business Solution Exhibit 4-5.1 http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/hand/as508a/508a_c4.html#_Toc63220600

US Patent and Trademark Office
http://www.uspto.gov

CIO Electronic & Information Technology Accessibility (Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act) http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/cio/s508
This page provides the pre-award EIT Procurement Checklist, technical standards used for product compliance testing, and relevant documents to be used by the USPTO and contractors in evaluating the accessibility of information technology products.

Section 508 Reference Guide http://www.uspto.gov/go/cio/s508/guide_index.htm

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