Here’s the scoop on the latest web accessibility compliance updates

From updated guidelines to new annual reporting requirements, the web accessibility landscape is ever-evolving. We’re here to help your team embrace the recent changes and bolster your Section 508 program, ensuring your content is accessible to everyone.

The scoop on Section 752 & Section 508

Congress recently upped compliance enforcement efforts with Section 752, adding a mandatory, annual reporting component. This update applies to all federal government agencies and organizations they contract with to run programs—the same entities that must adhere to Section 508. Together, Sections 752 and 508 work to ensure and monitor agencies’ adherence to accessibility standards, while measuring 508 program maturity with six additional dimensions:

• General Information
• IT Accessibility Program Office
• Policies, Procedures, and Practices
• Communications
• Content Creation
• Human Capital, Culture, and Leadership

What’s required

Agencies’ Section 508 Program Managers or designees must complete and submit an annual 105-question assessment. The assessment covers agencies’ level of compliance as well as their Section 508 program maturity.

When it’s due

The inaugural submission deadline was August 11, 2023. The 2024 deadline has yet to be announced.

Why the requirement exists

Though the new reporting component may prove challenging, the legislation is a vital step toward accountability when it comes to accessibility and inclusivity for people with disabilities. The General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) will use reported information to issue separate annual and biennial reports to Congress including a public data file that contains all agency responses.

Consequences of non-compliance

Agencies that fail to comply with Section 508 and Section 752 reporting are likely to face legal action and reputational damage. Non-compliance can also result in a loss of federal funding or lost contracts for vendors and contractors, so it is extremely important for agencies to stay on top of the latest requirements. 

You can visit section508.gov for more information, or email the GSA Government-wide IT Accessibility Program at Section.508@gsa.gov with questions. 

When it comes to compliance, we’ve got you covered

Whether your goal is to better understand the latest Section 752 requirements, grow your agency’s Section 508 program maturity, or streamline your compliance testing, Siteimprove’s accessibility experts, courses, and tools are at your disposal.

Explore our offerings

Siteimprove Frontier

Frontier is our professional development platform and services suite, designed to help you build organizational accessibility competencies at scale. Our course catalog includes full-scope accessibility training for developers, designers, and content contributors per the WCAG training industry standard.

We offer all of these courses in a user-friendly online format, as well as a Frontier Custom Package specifically for federal agencies called the Section 508 MAP Package (Model Agency Program Package). From building a Section 508 IT Office from scratch to maturing a well-established program, the Section 508 MAP Package will help you succeed.

Manual Testing Services

Our certified team of manual accessibility testers will evaluate your website using a combination of keyboard-only interactions, assistive computer technologies, and web browser plug-ins. We will perform a WCAG Web Content Review, address your unique accessibility needs, and provide recommendations for quick wins.

Siteimprove Accessibility Checker Chrome Extension

We’ve made it easy to implement automated testing early in the process, requiring that all code be checked for accessibility before it is considered done. If your web team is responsible for multiple websites with numerous pages, this simple workflow addition can eliminate hours of manual, retroactive fixes.

Siteimprove Accessibility Checker

Using Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (the international standard recognized by most governments and legislation), our free tool scans your website for accessibility issues. Try it today and see instant results.