Government-wide Section 508 Assessment

Assessment Requirement

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, codified at 29 U.S.C. § 794d, requires Federal departments and agencies and the United States Postal Service (hereinafter, “agencies”) to develop, procure, maintain, or use information and communications technology (ICT) that is accessible to people with disabilities and to give Federal employees contractors and members of the public with disabilities access to information comparable to the access available to those without disabilities.¹

Agencies subject to Section 508 are required to report on the implementation of Section 508 to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA) through the Annual Section 508 Assessment.²

Agency components, such as bureaus, sub-agencies, or major organizational divisions as determined by the agency, must be reported independently of their “parent” agency. “Parent” agencies must limit reporting to that of the parent agency and not include reporting from component agencies. Parent agencies should coordinate reporting entities to enhance the accuracy and consistency of responses.

This Assessment uses the term “reporting entity,” which consists of:

• “Agencies,” which broadly applies organizational components such as bureau, department level, or headquarters.

• “Components,” which broadly applies to an organizational unit typically one level below a department or large agency enterprise level.

Reporting entity responses should be completed and submitted by the Section 508 program manager or designee. Reporting entity responses are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 31, 2024.

If a reporting entity is unable to provide the requested information for a given criteria because it is currently unavailable, the reporting entity should select “Unknown” or “N/A.” Reporting entities will have opportunities to collect any unavailable information during future reporting periods of the annual Assessment.

OMB or GSA may follow up with reporting entities to obtain additional information or documentation that supports answers to the criteria in this Assessment.

Reporting entities should use this Assessment to identify barriers that prevent employees and members of the public with disabilities equitable digital access,  especially as more government interactions move online. OMB may use this information to inform performance management discussions with agencies or assess and develop guidance to advance equitable digital access.

Instructions for Reporting

Reporting entity Section 508 program managers should serve as the primary point of contact (POC) for the Section 508 Assessment. If there is no Section 508 program manager currently assigned, the reporting entity should designate an individual to be the POC.

Chief Information Officers (CIO) or equivalent of reporting entities will receive information from OMB including instructions the POC must use to register with GSA in order to receive access to the online Assessment reporting tool.

Reporting entities will have until 11:59 p.m. ET on July 31, 2024, to complete the Section 508 Assessment. All responses to the Section 508 Assessment must be submitted electronically via the online reporting tool and the submitting reporting entity will receive a copy of the submission for its records. Reporting entities are encouraged to begin collecting relevant data as soon as the Assessment criteria are released. 

Once reporting closes, no further information can be entered into the reporting tool. As part of the Assessment report, GSA will post a public data file that contains all reporting entity responses.

Note: If the reporting entity needs to change or update the contact information associated with the account, please submit those changes to Section.508@gsa.gov. Change request emails should contain the new individual’s name, title, phone number, and email address, and must be submitted by the Section 508 program manager or the highest-ranking individual in the reporting entity that is responsible for implementation of Section 508.

How to Submit Your Assessment Report

GSA will email reporting instructions to reporting entities’ POC with a link to the online reporting tool. Reporting entities will be able to enter information electronically between June 1, 2024, and July 31, 2024. The reporting tool will not accept submissions after 11:59 p.m. ET on July 31, 2024.

Key Dates

Table listing of five key dates related to the reporting required under Section 752 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.

Activity	Date/Time Frame
Instructions and Assessment Criteria released	April 8, 2024
Designation of Assessment POC	April 8, 2024 - July 1, 2024
Reporting submission window	June 1, 2024 - July 31, 2024
Submission Deadline	July 31, 2024
Assessment Report and Recommendations Submitted to Congress	No later than December 29, 2024

Contact Information

For questions about the Government-wide Section 508 Assessment, please email the GSA Government-wide IT Accessibility Program at Section.508@gsa.gov.

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Reviewed/Updated: May 2024