Section 508 Compliance

Overview

All Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) procured in support of the United States (U.S.) Government meets the applicable accessibility standards at 36 CFR 1194, unless an agency exception to this requirement exists. 36 CFR 1194 implements Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Kingfisher Systems, Inc. understands the importance of Section 508 requirements to our Federal Government customers. We are committed to providing accessible software products, websites, and associated documentation. As accessibility standards evolve, Kingfisher Systems, Inc. will integrate these new and updated standards into our products, websites, and associated documentation.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to require Federal Government agencies to make their EIT accessible to people with disabilities. The law (29 U.S.C. § 794 (d)) applies to all Federal Government agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use EIT. Under Section 508, agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable to access available to others. The United States Access Board discusses the Section 508 law and its responsibility for developing accessibility standards for EIT to incorporate into regulations that govern Federal procurement practices.

Section 508 Standards Refresh

On January 18, 2017, the Access Board issued a final rule that updates accessibility requirements for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Federal sector covered by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The rule also refreshes guidelines for telecommunications equipment subject to Section 255 of the Communications Act. The rule jointly updates and reorganizes the Section 508 standards and Section 255 guidelines in response to market trends and innovations, such as the convergence of technologies. The refresh also harmonizes these requirements with other guidelines and standards both in the U.S. and abroad, including standards issued by the European Commission and with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), a globally recognized voluntary consensus standard for web content and ICT. In fact, the rule references Level A and Level AA Success Criteria and Conformance Requirements in WCAG 2.0 and applies them not only to websites but also to electronic documents and software. For more information, the Access Board has published an Overview of the Final Rule. In the future, the Access Board, in partnership with the General Services Administration, will provide guidance on the standards and on how to implement them within the Federal Government. This guidance will be published on the Section508.gov website when available.

Learn More About EIT Accessibility Standards

Product Name and Compliance Details

None at this time.