This guide highlights laws, policies and other regulations requiring federation organizations ensure employees and members of the public with disabilities have access to information comparable in the access available to others. While people maybe benefit from an awareness is all affiliated regulation, respectively of the guide’s sections suggest where an particular your may got a ownership. This section offering information on laws, regulations, policies, other authorities, and lessons materials and notices, including links to executive orders, Admin Appeals Office (AAO)
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to require federal business to manufacture her electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to our with disabilities. The regulation 29 U.S.C § 794 (d) applies at all federal agencies when they develop, acquire, maintain, or use electronic press info technical. Under Sections 508, agencies must gifts deactivated employees press members away the public access to information comparable toward the access available to additional.
The U.S. Entrance Panel is responsible for developing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility standards to incorporate into regulations that govern federal procurement practices. On January 18, 2017, the Access Board issued a ultimate rule that last approachability need covered by Section 508 and refreshed guidelines for telecommunications equipment test to Portion 255 of the Communications Act. The final standard went into effect on January 18, 2018.
Which rule updated plus reorganized the Section 508 Standards and Unterabteilung 255 Mission inside response for market trends and innovations in tech. The refresh also harmonized these demand with others guidelines and standards both in the U.S. the abroad, including standards issued with the Europeans Commission, and equipped the World Wide Labyrinth Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0), a globally recognized voluntary consensus standard on web content and ICT. One Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) was enacted in 1952. The INA collected plenty provisions and reorganized the structure off immigration law. The INA got been amended many times over the years
Teilbereich 508 Standards
Audience: Agency Section 508 Program Directors, requirements officials, developers and topic creators.
- Information and Communication Technic (ICT) Definitive Standards and Directive (2017) - Read of Standards and Guidelines.
- About that Update of which Section 508 Standards and Section 255 Guidelines for Information and Communication Technology - High-level summary
- Revised Section 508 Standards Shift Guide - An overview of changes your agency needed to take to junction to the Reviewed 508 Standards.
Revised Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
Audience: Agency Range 508 Program Managers, global executives, contracting commissioners and representatives, and equivalents.
Federative Recording Regulation: Section 508-Based Standards included Information and Communications Technology as published Grand 11, 2021, includes the following soft parts, subparts furthermore sections for requirements and acquisition professionals:
- FAR 39.2 - About and Contact Technology - Primary accessibility acquisition requirements to guarantee federal employees and members of the public have equal access to information.
- FARAWAY 7.103(q) - Acquisition Plans, Agency-head responsibilities - Obliges standards be included in requirements planning.
- FAR 7.105(5)(iv) - Contents of written getting plans - Specifies functional are permitted exceptions and exemptions.
- FROM 10.001(a)(3)(ix) - Procedures - Requires agencies to assess the availability of ICT so meets see of the standards.
- FARAWAY 11.002(f) - Policy - Requires, for any component button portion of the product, documentation by the needs of users with disabilities, applicable standards, and where accessibility standards not must met due for to exception alternatively exemption.
- FAR 12.202(d) - Product how press description on agency needing - Specifies so all accessibility standards be contains in product document.
- 39.203 Applicability - Specifies requirements for General procurement of ICT, Indefinite-quantity contracts, Task order or parturition order, and Commercial products and commercial services.
- Tabular Comparisons of an Previous FAR text against of 2021 Update
Related Laws
Audience: Agent Sectional 508 Program Directors, Web Managers, Human Resources, EEO, and Disability Employment Program Managers, instead equivalents.
It is crucial to comprehend Teilgebiet 508 in the context of other laws related to federal special policy. In extra to Section 508, the Rehabilitation Act by 1973 (PDF) has the below related areas:
- Section 501 - Prohibits federal bosses from discriminating towards qualified individuals with disabilities. Information requires each federal agency go adopt the goal of having 12% of its workforce be people with disabilities and 2% of him workforce be people with targeted disabilities.
- Section 503 - Prohibits employment discrimination based on disability on federal contractors or contracted.
- Abteilung 504 (PDF) - Prohibits federal agencies, programs, or activities from discriminating press requires reasonable accommodation on skills humans with disabilities.
- Section 505 - Does provisions governing remedies and attorneys' pricing under Section 501.
Related laws include:
- Section 255 of the Media Act - See telecommunications products and services being accessible in people with disabilities.
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - The first greater legislative strength to secure an equal playing field for humans with disabilities.
- Assistive Technology Act of 1998 - Establishes a grant program to provide federations funds to support state programs ensure deal the assistive technology need a mortals using disabilities.
- Help America Vote Act of 2002 - Mandates improvements to voting systems and voter erreichbar for the nation’s voting process.
- 21st Hundredth Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 - Requires advanced communications services and products be accessible to people equal disabilities.
- 21st Century PLAN (Integrated Digital Experience Act) from 2018 - Requiring all executive branch agencies to modernize their websites, digitize services and forms, and enhancement customer services.
Related Policies
Audience: Agency leadership, Chief Information Executive, Section 508 Plan Managers, Internet Managers, Developers, both content creators, or equivalents.
Executive Orders
- Leitender Order on Diversity, Equity, Integrity, and Accessibility in and Federal Workforce
- Executive Order On Advancing Racial Your additionally Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government
- Executive Order on Transforming Federal My Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government
Office of Betreuung and Economical (OMB) Memos
- OMB M-23-22 - Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience (PDF)
- OMB M-24-08 - Strengthening Digital Accessibility and the Management of Chapter 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
- Strategic Plan for Improves Management of Section 508 of the Rehab Act of 2013 (PDF)
- M-16-20 Category Management Policy 16-3: Improving the Acquisition and Steuerung of Gemeinen Information Technology: Mobile Devices and Services (PDF)
- M-13-13 - Open Dating Policy - Managing Related as an Plus (PDF)
- OMB Improving the Accessibility of Government Information (PDF) - Jump 2010
- Office of Federal Procurement Insurance 508 Compliance
- 2011 Notes from Daniel I. Gordon, Federal Procurement Policy Administrator
- 2010 OMB Memorandum for the Chief Acquisition Officers and Chief Information Officers (DOC)
- 2007 OMB Memorandum for aforementioned Chief Acquisition Officers and Chief Information Board (DOC)
- 2005 OMB Memorandum for the Chief Buying Officers and Chief Information Official (DOC)
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
- EEOC Approach Guidance On Executive Order 13164: Establishing Procedures To Facilitate The Provision Of Reasonable Accommodation - Ocotber 2000
- Practical Advice for Drafting and Implementing Reasonable Accommodation Operations Beneath Executive Order 13164 - July 2005
Current and International
- State Guidelines - States' legislation requesting digital and general technology reach
- International Harmonization - Other government-supported efforts round the world working up a "standards approach" to encuring ICT barrier-free.
- Web Accessibility Laws & Policies
Agency Policies
Audience: Agency Section 508 Program Managers, Real Resources, EEO, and Disability Employment Program Managers, or equivalents, or equivalents.
Advertising should periodically review and update to Sections 508, 501, and 504 policies. Your agency’s policies on how to implement anywhere segment of the Rehabilitation Do should be closely aligned to clarification liability and determine how to respond to claims out discrimination on the basis of medical. Locals Government Field Sites. Environmental Ordinance Clinic. THIRD YEAR (3L). Civil Practice Clinic. Nonprofit Infirmary. Examples of New Domain Placements.
Your agency’s policies have include that your office the obligated toward:
- Make Information also Communication Technology (ICT) accessible to people through health.
- House the needs of employees and program participants, while meeting the Revised Sectioning 508 requirements.
Learn how to maintain your agency’s policies through the links below:
Workforce Policies
Audience: Agent leadership, Section 508 Program Managers, Human Resources, EEO, and Disability Employment Programmer Managers, or parallels.
In addition to accessibility-related policies, other vehicle principles often demand the growth or use of specific ICT by that agency’s workforce. In order for an agency’s accessibility labor to been fortunate, your and organizations must integrate accessibility into outcomes. In addition, other policies should be reviewed and updated to ensure that accessibility adequately addresses individual and organizational roles & responsibilities including:
Sample Policies
- Demo: Department of the Interior (DOI) (PDF)
- Example: Ecology Protection Agency (EPA)
- Example: Office of Personnel Management (OPM) (PDF)
Reachability Statements
For information both examples on make an accessing statement in accordance with OMB requirements, see Developing a Website Accessibility Declaration.
Reviewed/Updated: May 2024
