The Law
Section 508 is part of the ‘Rehabilitation Act of 1973.’ The law was amended in 1998 to add 508 which requires that government agencies provide equal access to infromation to disabled employees.
The correct way to refer to the law is:
- Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794 (d))
- Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
- Section 508
While related in ways, the Rehabilitation Act is not part of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Key Words
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Conformance: We conform with the standards of Section 508, not the law of section 508.
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Compliance: A government agency is in compliance with the law.
Talking Points
- The goal of accessibility at 18f is to build sites that are usable by everyone, not to meet minimum standards
- We focus on building accessibility into every step of a project, from design to each sprint review
- Employing accessibility best practices improves the user experience of all users
- 18f guidelines and best practices are not intended to be a replacement or supplement for Section 508 Standards, but are tools to acheiving these standards in a modern web development consultancy
Examples
Accessibility out of the box. These guidelines were built with a priority on accessibility at every step of the design process in conformance with Section 508 Standards. From colors to code, everything you need to meet high standards of accessibility are baked into these tools.