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What is a 508 compliance checker?
A 508 compliance checklist is an online tool that can assess the accessibility of technological goods or services. The checker determines if the product or service complies with the established Section 508 compliance requirements.
The Website Compliance Checker, the Section 508 Compliance Checklist, the Section 508 Compliance Test, and the Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool (WAVE) are just a few of the online 508 compliance checkers available to help you verify your digital property’s Section 508 compliance.
A 508 checker comes in handy during the Section 508 audit to flag out areas that require focused attention during manual accessibility testing. It saves time and resources by enabling the compliance auditor to focus his or her assessment on the areas flagged out as having accessibility issues.
How a seamless user experience starts with designing for Section 508 compliance
Looking forward to beginning or continuing the complex, iterative, and multi-faceted accessibility journey for your digital products and services? Are you passionate about not just getting that 508 compliance certification but also delivering a seamless experience for users of your digital products and services? You can never go wrong with fidelity to the Section 508 compliance website.
Right from the design of your digital product or service, you need to work closely with the 508 compliance checklist so that every step you take has accessibility mainstreamed into it.
Being guided by the checklist will guarantee inclusivity and equal access for your product or service, legal compliance and protection from lawsuits, an expanded user base and market reach, enhanced corporate social responsibility and brand reputation, early detection of accessibility issues as well as areas to enable you to save costs, and overall compliance with industry standards.
Whether you are at the design stage for your digital product or service or are undertaking the crucial Section 508 audit, a 508-compliance checker will be handy because of the following reasons:
(a) Efficiency
A good 508-compliance checker will provide the effectiveness you need to provide customers of your product or service with seamless experiences. Your digital property can be instantly scanned to identify any potential accessibility obstacles.
As a result of the time and effort that good 508 compliance checks save you, you can concentrate on correcting the problems they find rather than spending a lot of time manually doing a Section 508 audit of them.
(b) Consistency
A good 508 compliance checker will use pre-set criteria to assess your digital material and guarantee that you maintain consistency in your Section 508 audit process. All parts in your digital property are evaluated uniformly across all platforms and devices thanks to the checkers' elimination of the possibility of human error.
When changes or upgrades are made, a competent 508-compliance checker will make it simple to retest your digital property. This guarantees continued 508 compliance and a satisfying user experience.
(c) Comprehensive coverage
A competent 508-compliance checker will also give you thorough coverage because it examines all the different components of your digital property, such as text, photos, videos, interactive features, forms, and interactive elements. Additionally, it looks for standard accessibility problems including color contrast, keyboard usability, and screen reader compatibility.
(e) Documentation and reporting
Another benefit of employing a trustworthy 508 compliance checker is that it will give you thorough, in-depth reports outlining any accessibility problems discovered in your digital property. It will also make recommendations for how to fix any accessibility problems.
Need help identifying a reliable 508 compliance checker or partner?
If you’re looking for a reliable 508 compliance checker or partner to assist you with your Section 508 compliance certification, ADACP can help. They're leading digital property accessibility professionals and offer end-to-end accessibility testing and remediation services.
ADACP’s team of experts uses the latest tools and techniques to ensure your digital properties comply with the established 508 compliance requirements for credible 508 compliance certification. Find out more about how they can assist you by calling (626) 486-2201 or scheduling a Section 508 consult.
What is 508 compliance?
508 compliance, which is the short form for Section 508 compliance, is a term used in reference to conformance with the requirement by Section 508 for digital products and services provided by or offered to federal organizations to be accessible for people with disabilities. It is frequently used to help provide guidelines to entities that both want and need their digital products and services to be accessible.
Before delving into what the impact of 508-compliance is on user experience and engagement, let’s ensure that everyone reading this article understands Section 508 and the 508-compliant design of digital products and services.
What is Section 508?
The question, “What is Section 508?” often lingers in the minds of many people who join the digital and accessibility space, as they may not have been accustomed to it in their previous disciplines. It is therefore essential to bring these individuals on board before delving into other facets of Section 508 compliance.
Section 508 is part of a 1998 amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It requires all federal agencies to procure, maintain, and use electronic information technology (EIT) that is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
What is the 508-compliant design of digital products and services?
508-compliant design of digital products and services refers to conformance to the established Section 508 compliance testing when designing the products and services.
To ensure conformity with Section 508, the U.S. Access Board, which is an independent federal agency, develops and maintains standards that must be met to achieve Section 508 compliance and helps to deliver 508-compliant digital products and services.
How 508 compliance impacts user experience and engagement
Designing EIT products and services with 508 compliance requirements in mind is not just about meeting legal accessibility requirements or catering to the needs of users with disabilities. Rather, it is about creating inclusive and intuitive experiences that deliver benefits to every user of the EIT product or service. Some of the key impacts of 508 compliance on user experience and engagement are as follows:
(a) Usability
508-compliance precipitates accessibility, which, in turn, is a critical aspect of EIT product or service user experience and engagement design that has immense potential to lead to better usability of the product or service as well as unquestionable user satisfaction.
Usability, which is a key outcome of 508 compliance, is the degree to which an EIT product or service can be used by its intended users to effectively and satisfactorily achieve their goals. 508-compliance plays a significant role toward achieving better usability by removing barriers to access and enabling all users to engage with or interact with the product or service effortlessly.
(b) User-centric design of EIT products and services
508-compliance ensures that when EIT products and services are designed for accessibility, their designers consider the needs of users with various disabilities and how they will experience and engage with the product or service based on their state. This user-centric design of EIT products and services ends up benefiting all users, not just those with disabilities.
(c) User satisfaction
Designing EIT products and services to conform to Section 508 compliance requirements can also lead to better user satisfaction. Section 508 compliance helps to create inclusive experiences and engagements that enable the enhancement of satisfaction for all users.
For example, designing EIT products and services for users with visual disabilities by using high contrast and ALT text for images can make the content experiential and engagingly accessible for all users, including those with good vision. Similarly, when content is designed using simple language, clear navigation, and consistent design so as to cater for users with cognitive disabilities, it can end up helping all users to understand and navigate the product or service better.
(d) User retention
Section 508 compliance also has a positive impact on user retention. The accessibility delivered by 508-compliance not only helps to increase the number of users of a 508-compliant product or service by bringing on board those who were previously excluded, but also retains the existing users because of the delivered user experience.
Need assistance with designing your digital products for the user experience?
Designing your digital products and services for 508-compliance has impactful benefits for businesses or organizations, as well as for users of the products or services. It helps you create inclusive experiences by removing access barriers and enabling users to have an experiential and effortless interaction with the product or service.
If you need help designing 508-compliant products or services, ADACP can assist you with how to consider the needs of users with various disabilities so you can effectively design for accessibility. Discuss this with them by calling (626) 486-2201.
