WebWise Towns & Villages Websites use accessiBe to provide Section 508 Compliance!
WebWise Design & Marketing takes accessibility compliance seriously. That is why all of our WebWise Towns & Villages Websites include accessiBe - The #1 Web Accessibility Solution for ADA and WCAG Compliance.
What is Section 508 Compliance?
While considered federal legislation, Section 508 also affects state, county, local, and municipal authorities: any agency in receipt of financial assistance from the federal government is responsible for ensuring equal access to online information. Equally, contractors to federal agencies—regardless of their size or the type of services they offer—are required to comply with Section 508.
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d) requires federal agencies to create, buy, and use electronic and information technology that’s accessible to people with disabilities. The law applies to all information resources and to all people—employees and members of the public alike.
Section 508 Standards: Who and What Must Comply?
Section 508 makes it clear that any agency in receipt of financial assistance from the federal government is responsible for ensuring equal access to online information. This means that state, county, and municipality authorities must all meet Section 508 compliance requirements.
What accessibility standards does Section 508 require?
In its final rule published in 2017, the Access Board adopted the WCAG 2.0 AA as its guidelines for ensuring websites are authored and structured in an accessible and inclusive manner to work as seamlessly as possible with those relying on assistive technologies. It also expands the standard to include federal documents that are not posted online.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a constantly evolving set of standards created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), an international nonprofit that publishes what are generally considered to be the official specifications for HTML, CSS, and several other web technologies. Contributions are made by an international community of member organizations, academics, W3C full-time staff, and the public, working together to develop the WCAG.
Section 508: Non-Compliance Risks and Compliance Benefits
The ADA doesn’t specify what those reasonable accommodations might be, but numerous legal judgments show that conforming with WCAG guidelines generally qualify. If your organization or business is serious about ensuring equal access for all and avoiding lawsuits, you should be using accessiBe to comply with WCAG 2.1.
In addition to reducing legal risk, compliance with Section 508 helps organizations and businesses offer an improved user experience to employees and the public, and deliver digital information to the widest possible audience.
The accessiBe solution for web accessibility compliance with ADA, Sec 508, and more, using WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines is included with each WebWise Towns & Villages Website.
Please email compliance@webwisedesign.com or call 608-822-3750 to ask about ensuring that your website is accessibility compliant.