section-508

Use the VPAT 2.x WCAG Edition template from ITI. Complete product information, evaluation methods, then Tables 1 and 2 covering WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA criteria with conformance levels (Supports, Partially Supports, Does Not Support, Not Applicable) plus remarks, followed by Functional Performance Criteria.

The Revised Section 508 Standards (effective January 18, 2018) incorporate WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA for web content, software, electronic documents, and authoring tools. WCAG 2.1 is recommended but not yet mandated by Section 508.

Section 508 directly applies to federal agencies for all ICT they develop, procure, maintain, or use. Private companies are affected only when they contract with the federal government, since ICT supplied to agencies must meet the standards.

Combine automated scans (axe-core, Lighthouse, WAVE) with manual testing: keyboard-only navigation, screen readers (NVDA or JAWS with Chrome, VoiceOver with Safari), color contrast verification, and 200% browser zoom. Automated tools catch roughly 30-40% of issues.

Undue burden applies when compliance imposes significant difficulty or expense. The agency must document the cost analysis, obtain a written determination from the agency head or CIO, and provide an alternative means of access such as a phone hotline or accessible format on request.

An accessible PDF must be tagged with correct structure hierarchy, have reading order matching visual order, include alt text on images, provide accessible form field names, associate table headers with cells, and set document language and title. Verify with Acrobat Pro's Full Check.