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Section 508 compliance, is your site accessible to the federal standard?
Section 508 requires technology sold to or used by the US federal government to be accessible. Here's what it means and how to check yours.
Who it covers
- Federal agencies: all public-facing and internal ICT must meet the standard
- Federal contractors & vendors: anything you build, sell, or deliver to a federal agency
- Recipients of federal funds: many fall under related accessibility requirements (e.g. education, state programs)
What standard Section 508 uses
Since the 2017 "508 Refresh," Section 508 incorporates WCAG 2.0 Level AA by reference for web content. In practice: if your site meets WCAG 2.0/2.1 AA, you're meeting the technical baseline for Section 508. So a WCAG scan is the concrete first step. The same scan also covers ADA (US) and the EAA (EU), since all three rest on WCAG.
Section 508 vs an accessibility overlay
| Overlay widget | AdaClear | |
|---|---|---|
| Fixes the actual code a 508 audit checks | No, sits on top | Yes, real fixes |
| Produces evidence for procurement (VPAT/ACR) | No | Scan results + VPAT support |
| Engine | Proprietary widget | Industry-standard testing engine |
An overlay can't make a product pass a real Section 508 review, agencies and their auditors test the underlying code, not a widget. The FTC even fined an overlay vendor $1M in 2025 for deceptive "compliance" claims. (FTC, 2025)
How to get Section 508-ready
| Step | What |
|---|---|
| 1. Scan | Automated WCAG 2.x scan → find machine-detectable issues (alt text, contrast, labels, ARIA, keyboard) |
| 2. Fix | Apply the prioritized fixes in your code (or hand them to your dev) |
| 3. Manual review | Human-check what automation can't: meaningful alt text, reading order, focus order, captions |
| 4. Document & monitor | Produce a VPAT / Accessibility Conformance Report, then re-scan continuously so you stay conformant as the site changes |
AdaClear automates steps 1, 2 and 4, and an optional Expert Fix (human experts, AI-assisted, every change human-reviewed) covers step 3. Honest scope: automated testing reliably catches ~30-40% of WCAG issues, we surface and triage them and never sell a fake "compliant" badge.
Enter your site for an instant WCAG scan: score + top issues. No overlay, no signup.
Frequently asked
Who has to comply with Section 508? US federal agencies, and any company that builds, sells, or provides ICT (websites, software, documents) to the federal government. Vendors are routinely asked to prove Section 508 conformance during procurement, and recipients of certain federal funds fall under related accessibility requirements.
What standard does Section 508 use? Since the 2017 Section 508 Refresh, the standard incorporates WCAG 2.0 Level AA by reference for web content. Meeting WCAG 2.0/2.1 AA is the technical baseline, so a WCAG scan is the concrete first step.
What is a VPAT and do I need one? A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) produces an Accessibility Conformance Report documenting how your product meets Section 508 / WCAG. Federal buyers routinely require one during procurement; AdaClear's scan results and Business tier support producing one.