The Government-wide Section 508 Assessment Instructions and corresponding report replaces the previously required semi-annual Section 508 Program Maturity Report.
The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Strategic Plan for Improving Management of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act issued on January 23, 2013 aims to improve how agencies manage Section 508 and IT accessibility responsibilities by increasing transparency, strengthening accountability, and improving collaboration.
Federal agencies have been required to report to OMB twice per year on their Section 508 program maturity and effectiveness. GSA’s Government-wide IT Accessibility Program analyzes these reports to identify ways to increase collaboration across agencies, reduce redundancies, and develop solutions to improve the management of government accessibility programs. Executive summary reports, along with a companion supplemental report, are provided to OMB, U.S. Access Board, and Chief Information Officers (CIO) Council Accessibility Community of Practice (ACOP).
On December 29, 2022 the President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 which, in Section 752, tasked the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in consultation with the General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Access Board (USAB), to update criteria and instructions for evaluating agencies’ Section 508 efforts. Section 752 requires federal agencies to report on the implementation of Section 508 in accordance with the updated criteria and instructions by August 11, 2023, and annually thereafter.
Report Downloads
In a letter to GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan regarding Section 508 compliance, members of the Special Committee on Aging, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions requested that GSA provide all summary reports, trend analysis, or other analyses or recommendations from 2019 through 2022.
Accordingly, and in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Chief Information Officers (CIO) Council, GSA is making these Section 508 Program Maturity Reports available for download from this page.
2023
- Spring 2023 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Summary (PDF)
- Spring 2023 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Supplemental (PDF)
2022
- Autumn 2022 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Summary (PDF)
- Autumn 2022 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Supplemental (PDF)
- Spring 2022 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Summary (PDF)
- Spring 2022 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Supplemental (PDF)
2021
- Autumn 2021 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Summary (PDF)
- Autumn 2021 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Supplemental (PDF)
- Spring 2021 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Summary (PDF)
- Spring 2021 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Supplemental (PDF)
2020
- Autumn 2020 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Summary (PDF)
- Autumn 2020 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Supplemental (PDF)
- Spring 2020 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Summary (PDF)
- Spring 2020 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Supplemental (PDF)
2019
- Autumn 2019 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Summary (PDF)
- Spring 2019 Section 508 Program Maturity Report - Executive Summary (PDF)
Understanding the Reporting Questions
For reference, CFO Act agencies were required to provide responses to the following questions when submitting their semi-annual Section 508 program maturity data to OMB. Reporting by small and independent agencies was optional, but encouraged.
Part 1: Agency Information
- Agency Name
- Submitter Name
- Number of Federal Employees responsible for supporting Section 508 Program
- Number of Contractors responsible for supporting Section 508 Program
Part 2: Program Maturity Metrics
Indicate the maturity level (see below) that best reflects your organization's overall status in the following maturity categories for the current reporting cycle.
Maturity Categories
- Acquisition: Review procurement solicitations to ensure Section 508 contract language is incorporated into Statements of Work and Performance Work Statements.
- Technology Lifecycle Activities: Ensure 508 requirements are incorporated into technology lifecycle activities, including enterprise architecture, design, development, testing, deployment, and ongoing maintenance activities.
- Testing and Validation: Test and validate Section 508 conformance claims.
- Complaints Process: Track and resolve incoming Section 508 complaints.
- Training: Train stakeholders on roles and responsibilities related to Section 508 compliance.
Maturity Levels
- Ad Hoc: No formal policies, processes, or procedures defined.
- Planned: Policies, processes, and procedures defined and communicated.
- Resourced: Resources committed and/or staff trained to implement policies, processes, and procedures.
- Measured: Validation is performed; results are measured and tracked.
Part 3: Website Compliance Metrics
Provide the number (#) evaluated and percentage (%) conformant with technical standards for the current reporting cycle.
- Number of Internet web pages evaluated (numeric value only - no commas)
- Percent (%) of Internet web pages found to be conformant (numeric value only - no percentage sign)
- Number of Intranet web pages evaluated (numeric value only - no commas)
- Percent (%) of Intranet web pages found to be conformant (numeric value only - no percentage sign)
Related Resources
- Annual Government-wide Section 508 Assessment
- Section 508 Report to Congress and the President: Accessibility of Federal Electronic and Information Technology (PDF) February 2023
- Assess Maturity of Your Agency’s 508 Program - Play 2 from the Technology Accessibility Playbook
- Trusted Tester and ICT Testing Baseline
For any questions about the government-wide Section 508 reporting, please contact us.
Reviewed/Updated: July 2023
