Learn how to manage a federal IT Accessibility Program, help your agency comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and use technology that conforms to the Revised 508 Standards.
Playbooks
- Playbooks - Step-by-step guidance for program managers and agency executives
Who Does What
To be successful, you’ll need to clearly define roles and responsibilities.
- Roles & Responsibilities - Covers responsibilities for program management, implementation and OMB reporting.
- IT Accessibility/508 Program Manager Responsibilities - Recommend knowledge, skills and abilities.
Assessing User Needs
Practice universal design and build organizational support to deliver accessible products and services.
- Identify User Needs - Meet user needs through development, testing, and policy compliance.
- Universal Design - Design to be accessible from the start.
- Build Support for Accessible Content - Follow the stages of content production to ensure your organization publishes accessible content.
Policy Compliance and Reporting
Federal agencies are required to follow Section 508 and related laws and policies, to ensure government information and services are accessible to all. In addition, agency IT Accessibility Program Managers (508 Coordinators) and CIOs must report to OMB twice per year on program maturity.
- IT Accessibility Laws and Policies - Learn about the legal requirements for IT accessibility.
- Monitor and Report Progress - Learn how to prepare and submit required reports.
- Review the Digital Dashboard Accessibility Module to discover possible conformance issues on agency website homepages.
- Log in to DigitalDashboard.gov using your MAX.gov account
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Select the Accessibility module, and review the data for your agency
- Note that agency sites are scanned on a bi-weekly basis, so it may take a couple of weeks for issues to resolve on the Dashboard
- First-time Dashboard users will need to submit a one-time access request to gain access to your agency data. Request access by emailing dotgovdashboard@gsa.gov.
- How to Improve Digital Dashboard Accessibility Scores - Guidance on how to improve your agency’s Digital Dashboard Accessibility module website scores.
- The Solicitation Review Tool (SRT) - Evaluate and improve your agency’s overall solicitation compliance with respect to accessibility.
Overview
- 508 Program Management Roadmap - High-level roadmap for managing a Federal agency IT Accessibility/508 program.
- Revised 508 Standards Transition Guide - Overview of how to update existing programs to comply with the Revised 508 Standards.
Reviewed/Updated: October 2020
