Section 508 Accessibility and Compliance

Introduction

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is responsible for providing strategic guidance to ensure agency employees and customers with disabilities have equal access to information. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794d), requires all federal departments and agencies to ensure that their information and communications technology (ICT) is accessible to people with disabilities. For more information, please visit:

• United States Access Board Revised Section 508 Standards
• General Services Administration Section 508 Website
• USDA Section 508 Directive (DR 4030-001)

Laws and Regulations

Section 508 applies to all federal agencies that develop, procure, maintain, or use information and communications technology (ICT). Agencies are required to provide employees and members of the public with disabilities comparable access to those without disabilities. Section 508 operates within the context of several laws and regulations related to federal disability policy. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 also includes the following:

• Section 501 and 505: prohibits federal employers from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities and provides the designation of authority. 
• Section 503: prohibits employment discrimination based on disability by federal contractors or subcontractors.
• Section 504: prohibits federal agencies, programs, or activities from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities that require reasonable accommodation. For more information regarding Section 504 and reasonable accommodations within the Department, please visit the TARGET Center’s webpage.

For more information or services from the Departmental Section 508 Program Office, please send an email to Section508-OCIO@usda.gov or call the office at 202-260-8777.

Request Section 508 Services

The Departmental Section 508 Program Office is the authority on the implementation of Section 508 and ensures systematic accountability for the accomplishment of the Section 508 requirements within the Department of Agriculture. This office supports the Secretary’s mission to create an accessible work environment and oversees the Section 508 Program within each of USDA’s agencies and mission areas. In addition, the Program Office provides the following services:

• Section 508 Program Management Training: New or returning Section 508 Coordinators will receive in depth information on how to establish and manage the Section 508 Program for their staff office of mission area. The training covers IT Governance, IT Procurement, Accessibility Testing and Reporting under Section 508.

• Section 508 Procurement Training: Contracting Officers, procurement professionals, and stakeholders are trained on the Section 508 Procurement Process. This includes performing market research for accessible solutions, incorporating the accessibility standards in procurement materials, and enforcing Section 508 in cases of non-compliance.

• Document Remediation Training: Employees are provided instruction on how to create and maintain various forms of documentation in an accessible manner.

• Disability Awareness Training: Employees and stakeholders are educated on how various disabilities can impact work life as well as best practices when interacting with members of the Disability Community.

• ICT Quality Assurance Testing: Project managers may request an in-depth evaluation of software systems, web-based content, and other forms of information and communications technology (ICT) against the technical provisions under Section 508, the WCAG, and any other applicable accessibility standards.

Employees can request any of these services by visiting the CEC Digital Workplace and selecting the Section 508 Program Request option. For additional information or assistance, please email us at Section508-OCIO@usda.gov or call 202-260-8777.