Frequently Asked Questions
Basic Definitions
- What are the main documents that define the requirements of Section 508?
- What is electronic and information technology?
- What is Section 255?
- What is Section 508?
- What is universal design?
Finding Help
- Where can I learn more about creating accessible websites?
- Who do I contact for additional help with Section 508 issues?
Practices and Procedures - General
- How do I determine if my product qualifies as electronic and information technology (E&IT) under Section 508?
- What are best practices associated with creating Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs)?
Practices and Procedures - Websites
- Are there any tools available to help me as a developer to experience some of the web accessibility issues encountered by people with disabilities?
- Can Section 508 obligations for an inaccessible web site be met by providing a phone number to call or another substitute means of interaction?
- Is it necessary for every form element to have a label?
- What is the best way to provide text equivalents for non-text elements?
- What types of technical problems might I encounter when developing an accessible website?
- When marking up my web pages, should I use <b> or <strong> to represent bolded text?
- When marking up my web pages, what is the appropriate way to mark up headings?
- When using graphical bullets on my web pages, do I need to use alt text for those graphics?
What's Covered by the Laws
- Does a supporting software package need to conform to Section 508, or only the office application that is intended to be used by the end users?
- Does Section 508 apply to a federal Intranet site intended to be used by a small group of people who do not have disabilities?
- Under Section 508, does purchase of a system require purchase of matching peripherals?
- What are the accessibility requirements of third party software that is part of another vendor's product?
Who Needs to Conform to the Laws
- Does my university, city, county, or state website have to conform with Section 508?
- When I link to a document on another federal agency's site, am I responsible for the accessibility of that document?
- Which states have adopted Section 508 or similar accessibility initiatives?