Section 508, WCAG, and Digital Accessibility in the Federal Government: What You Need to Know

Karina Boycheva, Instructional Designer and Learning Success Manager, and Lora Budzier, Accessibility Project Lead, will walk you through what Section 508 compliance really means and how your agency or organization can achieve it. 

U.S. federal government entities must comply with the disability accessibility guidelines in Section 508 when creating or purchasing information technology (IT). The purpose is to increase opportunities and quality of life for people with disabilities. Section 508 was updated in 2018 explicitly referencing the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 level A and AA. But what does compliance really mean, and how do you achieve it?

Join Karina Boycheva and Lora Budzier as they give an overview of the logic behind Section 508, its web accessibility requirements in light of the incorporation of the internationally-recognized Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and some strategies for managing the process. Topics include:

• Digital Accessibility: What it means, who is affected, and why it's important
• WCAG 2.0 mapping to Section 508 requirements, and the "508 Refresh"
• Disability technical requirements and liability in the federal government.
• Making accessibility a permanent, sustainable part of the workflow. 

The Q&A portion of this webinar was joined by Dr. Paul Bohman, Director of Training at Deque.

Watch below:

Jump to specific parts of the video using our chapters list:

• 00:00 Introduction & Agenda
• 01:34 Section 508 Overview & General Requirements 
• 04:28 Digital Accessibility & Why it Matters to You 
• 8:47 The 508 Refresh & the New Standards (WCAG 2.0 Incorporated) 
• 11:22 The Implications of the New Standards & Testing Early & Often ("Shift Left") 
• 15:53 How Section 508 Applies to...Section 508 Program Managers & Federal Employees 
• 17:53 How Section 508 Applies to...A Federal Contractor or Independent Vendor 
• 19:19 How Section 508 Applies to...An EDU Employee 
• 21:22 How Section 508 Applies to...A Developer or Tester 
• 22:45 How Section 508 Applies to...A Procurement Specialist 
• 24:00 Q & A 

Learn more about government accessibility and Deque's services, training and tools tailored for federal and state government agencies.