Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies to make their information and communication technology accessible to people with disabilities. The revised standards, in effect since January 18, 2018, incorporate WCAG 2.0 Level AA as the technical benchmark for websites, software, and electronic documents.
How Section 508 Reaches Private Developers
The law binds federal agencies rather than private businesses directly, but it flows down through procurement. If you build websites, apps, or digital content that a federal agency buys or uses, the deliverables must meet the 508 standards, and accessibility requirements appear in federal contracts through the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Many state governments apply similar rules to their own purchasing.
What Government Contractors Should Expect
For agencies and developers who sell to government, WCAG-conformant work is a contract requirement rather than a nice extra. Noncompliant deliverables can be rejected or trigger complaints, so accessibility needs to be built into the project from the start instead of patched in at delivery.
Source: Section508.gov: 29 U.S.C. 794d
