Web Content Accessibility Guidelines(WCAG)
AccessibilityW3C standard defining how to make web content perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for users with disabilities.
Glossary · Compliance
Section 508
U.S. federal law requiring government information and communication technology to be accessible to people with disabilities.
Definition
In long form.
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, refreshed in 2018 to harmonize with WCAG 2.0 AA, requires federal agencies to procure, develop, and maintain ICT that is accessible. The 2018 refresh adopted WCAG 2.0 Levels A and AA as the technical baseline for web content. State and local governments often adopt 508 by reference, even though the law itself only binds federal agencies and their contractors.
In context
If you're selling software to a federal agency, the contract will require Section 508 conformance and a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template). Most agencies now ask for VPAT 2.4 or 2.5 with claims aligned to WCAG 2.1 AA.
Related terms
Adjacent definitions.
Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program(FedRAMP)
GovernmentU.S. government program standardizing security assessment and authorization for cloud services used by federal agencies.
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