When developing, procuring, maintaining, or using electronic and information technology, each federal. The 508 standards and guidelines ensure that information and communications covered by section 508 are accessible to individuals with disabilities. Section 508 is an amendment of the united states rehabilitation act of 1973 that extends. The rehabilitation act of 1973 as amended by wioa pdf. Rehabilitation act of 1973 united states access board. Rehabilitation act of 1973 national association of the deaf. Federal government agencies develop, procure, or maintain, information and communication technology ict. Section 508, an amendment to the united states workforce rehabilitation act of 1973, is a federal law mandating that all electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by the federal government be accessible to people with. May 26, 2017 briefly put, section 508 is part of the rehabilitation act of 1973, and has undergone several strengthening refreshes over the years.
The standards, which have been in place for over 15 years, promote ict that can be accessed by the public and employees with disabilities. The federal acquisition regulation far had previously exempted micropurchases from the requirements of section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, which requires that electronic and. If you have questions regarding a specific locations accessibility, please contact the facility directly. Section 508 requires that the federal government procure, create, use and. Section 508 requires that any information and communication technology. Your pdf report will be emailed to you within one business day, so you can quickly. The law also established the access board section 502. This checklist is not official section 508 documentation. The following standards are excerpted from section 508 of the rehabilitation act, 1194.
Xml rehabilitation act of 1973 as amended through p. The section 508 refresh and what it means for higher. Section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 is a national law that protects qualified individuals from. This applies to web applications, web pages and all attached files on the intranet, as well as, the internet. Learn how to manage a federal it accessibility508 program and help your agency meet its responsibilities under section 508 of the rehabilitation act. Department of defense is committed to making its electronic and information technologies accessible to individuals with disabilities in accordance with section 508 of the rehabilitation act 29. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act legitimate online. Section 508 electronic and information technology a requirements for federal departments and agencies. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 definition. For the full text of section 508, please see the official government 508 web site. Drafted as a 1986 amendment to the rehabilitation act of 1973, 508 compliance. Usaid implementation of section 508 of the rehabilitation act.
The nondiscrimination requirements of the law apply to employers. It also covers disability discrimination in employment with federal agencies, in programs that are conducted by federal agencies, and with federal contractors. Federal government agencies develop, procure, or maintain, information and communication technology ict, that it is accessible to persons with disabilities. Your rights under section 504 of the rehabilitation act what is section 504. The 1998 amendment to section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology eit accessible to people with disabilities to ensure agencies provide comparable access to data and information for people with disabilities to those without disabilities.
Section 504 forbids organizations and employers from excluding or denying individuals with. Nov 02, 2015 this law became what is now known as section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 frequently asked questions the federal acquisition regulation far micropurchase exemption to section 508 of the rehabilitation act will expire on. The section 503 regulations set forth the standards for compliance with section 503 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended 29 u. Everyone wins when information and communication technology ict reaches section 508 compliance. Free appropriate public education fape 28 a recipient that operates a public elementary or secondary educational program or activity shall provide a free, appropriate public education to each qualified. Usaid implementation of section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 and federal acquisition circular fac 9727 electronic and information technology accessibility general backgroundrequirements of section 508 section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended the act requires that. Section 508 requires that persons with disabilities have access to and use of information and data comparable to the information available to members of the public who are not persons with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed. Section 508 of the act, as now amended, provides for us a blueprint of just what is intended in section 504. Definition of disability under the rehabilitation act. This law became what is now known as section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973. About the update of the section 508 standards and section 255 guidelines for.
In 1998, congress amended the rehabilitation act of 1973 to require federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology eit. Rehabilitation act of 1973 how is rehabilitation act of 1973 abbreviated. Americans with disabilities act amendments ada aa 2008 act signed. Basically, section 508 is an addendum to the rehabilitation act came into practice in the year 1973, which had further undergone various refreshes over the last couple of decades. Nov 20, 2019 all national archives and records administration nara museums, research facilities, and presidential libraries are accessible ada compliant. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 frequently asked questions the federal acquisition regulation far micropurchase exemption to section 508 of the rehabilitation act will expire on april 1, 2005. Any component or portion of existing ict that complies with an earlier standard issued pursuant to section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended as republished in appendix d, and that has. The nlrb is committed to providing access to our site for all persons with disabilities. Section 508 covers technology procured by a federal agency under contract with a. Further, using this checklist does not guarantee or equate to compliance with the regulations.
The original section 508 amendment was included in the rehabilitation act in 1986, but had to be revised. In 1998, congress amended the rehabilitation act of 1973 to require federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology eit accessible to individuals with disabilities. In 1998, congress amended the rehabilitation act of 1973 to require federal. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 and how. Drafted as a 1986 amendment to the rehabilitation act of 1973, 508 compliance was initially intended to address the workplace needs of disabled workers in the electronics and information technology fields. The office of the chief information officer ocio is responsible for hhs section 508 compliance.
Section 508 is a federal law that is part of the rehabilitation act of 1973, which established guidelines for technology accessibility. Section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 is a national law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability. Strategic plan for improving management of section 508 of the rehabilitation act pdf. Briefly put, section 508 is part of the rehabilitation act of 1973, and has undergone several strengthening refreshes over the years. An act to replace the vocational rehabilitation act, to extend and revise the authorization of grants to states for vocational rehabilitation services, with special emphasis on services to those with the most severe handicaps, to expand special federal responsibilities and research and training programs with respect to. The rehabilitation act of 1973 prohibits discrimination based on a persons disability in any program or activity that receives federal funding. The passfail criteria in this document represent an interpretation of section 508 web standards. It is important to understand section 508 in the context of other laws related to federal disability policy. The original section 508 amendment was included in the rehabilitation act in 1986, but had to be revised to include enforcement and the changes with occurred as a result of the world wide web. Accessibility requirements viewsonic supports the federal government guidelines for accessibility to information technology products and services for the disabled.
An act to replace the vocational rehabilitation act, to extend and revise the authorization of grants to states for vocational rehabilitation. Section 508 requires that all website content be accessible to people with disabilities. The federal acquisition regulation far had previously exempted micropurchases from the requirements of section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, which requires that electronic and information technology eit developed, procured, maintained, or used by the federal government provide individuals with disabilities access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access. Section 508 was originally added as an amendment to the rehabilitation act of 1973 in 1986.
Usaid implementation of section 508 of the rehabilitation. The law strengthens section 508 of the rehabilitation act and requires access to electronic and information technology provided by the federal government. Section 508 amendment to the rehabilitation act of 1973. The section 508 refresh and what it means for higher education authors. The federal acquisition regulation far had previously exempted micropurchases from the requirements of section 508 of the. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act level access. Review section 508 law and related it accessibility laws and policies. In keeping with our corporate credo, sharp has a variety of document imaging products that are compliant with the requirements of section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973. A development, procurement, maintenance, or use of electronic and information technology. Section 508 requires that any information and communication technology ict developed, procured, maintained or used by federal departments and agencies must allow federal employees and members of the public. For more information about section 508, please visit the dod section 508 website. That measure was replaced in 1998 by the federal electronic and information technology accessibility and compliance act, which requires that. Section 508 of the act, as now amended, provides for us a. Section 508 and section 501 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 are often.
To meet this commitment, the nlrb web site complies with section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973. Accessibility for individuals with disabilities office of special counsel. The following questions and answers are intended to assist tcap grantees and project owners to understand and comply with the nondiscrimination. Section 508 requires that electronic and information technology eit acquired by the federal government be accessible by. The law applies to all federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information. In 1998 the us congress amended the rehabilitation act to require federal agencies to make. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 29 usc 794d requires that when u. Two sections within the rehabilitation act, as amended, have impact on accessible web design. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended, requires us to ensure. Notice of rights section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended 29 u. The federal government increasingly relies on technology to carry out its business and deliver information to. Section 508 requires federal electronic and information technology to be accessible to people with disabilities, including employees and members of the public.
An act to replace the vocational rehabilitation act, to extend and revise the au. In addition to section 508, the rehabilitation act of 1973 has several other sections section 501 and. Section 501 and 505 prohibits federal employers from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities section 503. Thus, section 504 provides the context of the law and section 508 provides the direction. Geared toward ojjdp grantees, this video provides a highlevel overview of section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 which requires federal agencies to make their electronic and. Over the course of time, both the scope and the specificity of section 508 have changed through revisions and court interpretations. Rehabilitation act of 1973 how is rehabilitation act of. Find out how section 508 compliance website relates to wcag 2. The doc accessibility and section 508 website focuses on section 508 laws, accessibility standards and guidelines and contains resources for understanding and implementing the requirements of. Later amendments strengthened requirements for access to electronic and information technology in the federal sector section 508. Although pdfua1 was considered as a standard, it was ultimately not. Rehabilitation act section 508 the rehabilitation act of 1973 requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology eit accessible to people with disabilities and prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies, in programs receiving federal financial assistance, in.
Free testing road to accessibility accessibility statement trust center. The original section 508 dealt with electronic and information technologies, in recognition of the growth of this field. Nearly everyone plays a role in carrying out section 508. Improvements in hardware, operating system software, assistive technology, or. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended 29 u. The law applies to all federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. This manual assigns responsibilities for section 508 management and. Dec 04, 2017 when originally drafted, section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 mandated that all electronic and information technology used by the federal government be accessible to people with disabilities. The pdf documents have been created using adobe acrobat 5. Section 508, an amendment to the united states workforce rehabilitation act of 1973, is a federal law mandating that all electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by. On august 7, 1998, president clinton signed into law the rehabilitation act amendments of 1998 which covers access to federally funded programs and services. The rehabilitation act of 1973 requires access to programs and activities that are funded by federal agencies and to federal employment.
Overview of the final rule united states access board. Oct 08, 2019 section 508 of the rehabilitation act 29 u. Section 508 and section 501 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 are often confused with each other. Sep 07, 2019 basically, section 508 is an addendum to the rehabilitation act came into practice in the year 1973, which had further undergone various refreshes over the last couple of decades.
Request a free report and well get to work on your website audit. Department of defense is committed to making its electronic and information technologies accessible to individuals with disabilities in accordance with section 508 of the rehabilitation act 29 u. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act establishes requirements for electronic and information technology developed, maintained, procured, or used by the federal government. In addition to section 508, the rehabilitation act of 1973 has several other sections. Sharp is also striving to make all of its products, software and documentation more accessible by applying the principles and guidance of section 508. Section 508 requires that the federal government procure, create, use and maintain ict that is accessible to people with disabilities, regardless of whether or not they work for the federal government. Section 501 and 505 prohibits federal employers from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities. When developing, procuring, maintaining, or using electronic and information technology, each federal department or.
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