Section 508

Overview

Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act requires that information and communication technology used by federal agencies be accessible to people with disabilities. The Revised 508 Standards adopt the WCAG Level A and AA success criteria as the measure for web content and software interfaces. Because most US public-sector procurement asks for a Section 508 conformance statement, often as a VPAT, it is one of the most frequently requested accessibility standards in government tenders. ControlBird builds its interfaces toward the same WCAG criteria Section 508 references; it has not completed a formal third-party 508 evaluation.

Key requirements

WCAG-based success criteria

Meet the WCAG Level A and AA success criteria for web content and software interfaces.

Keyboard and assistive-technology access

Make functionality operable by keyboard and interpretable by assistive technology.

Perceivable content

Provide text alternatives, sufficient colour contrast, and adaptable presentation.

Conformance reporting

Be able to report conformance, typically through a VPAT or accessibility conformance report.

How ControlBird aligns

Built to the WCAG criteria 508 references

ControlBird’s interfaces use semantic landmarks, ARIA roles and live regions, keyboard operability, a skip-to-content link on the public site, and theme options including a low-contrast monochrome theme. These are the same WCAG Level AA practices the Revised 508 Standards adopt, so the detail on our WCAG 2.1 AA page applies here too.

Keyboard and screen-reader support

The interfaces are designed to be driven from the keyboard, and important status changes are announced through live regions so assistive technology can follow them.

Honest scope

ControlBird has not undergone a formal Section 508 evaluation and does not yet publish a VPAT. We can share the current accessibility state for a specific screen on request so it can be assessed against a 508 requirement.