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Governmentwide Findings: Section 508 Program

Section 508 Program

Please note the terms “reporting entity” and “respondent” are not synonymous with “agencies” as used in M-24-08. Components are not required to implement M-24-08 independently from their parent agency, so they may not have their own Section 508 program.

The Assessment shows improvements in reporting entities’ Section 508 programs, specifically in the status, influence, and resourcing. Respondents reported a 135% increase in Section 508 programs that are widely known, relied upon, and have decision making authority. 40 entities selected this option in FY24 compared to only 17 in FY23. Furthermore, the YOY difference indicates an improvement in the available Section 508 resources such as training, tools, staff support, etc. In FY23, half of the reporting entities noted that while they did identify resource needs, the ones provided or available were insufficient to support the needs of the Section 508 program’s or equivalent. This improved in FY24 by a moderate, meaningful increase (WRST: extremely statistically significant), with half of the reporting entities (from 1% to 59%) indicating some resource needs are met. At the same time, we observed a 20% YOY improvement in the number of entities who stated they have no formal Section 508 program or that the program was in development, with 39% of entities selecting these options in FY24 compared to 48% in FY23.

Bar chart showing YOY comparison of response count for status of Section 508 program or equivalent (Q29). In FY24, 50 entities selected they have no formal program down from 60 in FY23, 45 entities in FY24 selected their program is in development down from 59 in FY23, 58 entities in FY24 selected their program is established with organizational ownership up from 46 in FY23, 51 entities in FY24 selected their program is established and relied upon for decision making, down from 67 in FY23, and 40 entities in FY24 noted their program is well-known with performance metrics and decision making authority, up from 17 in FY23.
Figure 14. YOY comparison of response count for status of Section 508 program or equivalent (Q29).

Please note that the terms “reporting entity” and “respondent” are not synonymous with “agencies” as used in M-24-08. Components are not required to implement M-24-08 independently from their parent agency, so they may not have their own Section 508 or digital accessibility policy.

The same number of entities (39) reported YOY that their Section 508 or ICT accessibility policy does not exist. In FY24, there was a significant increase, 146.6%, in the number of entities who said their Section 508 policy is in draft, specifically 74 entities in FY24 compared to only 30 in FY23. Half as many entities reported not knowing the status of their Section 508 policy with 7 entities selecting this is FY24. Overall, just over half of all entities – 125 entities or 51% – noted their Section 508 policy was signed, with:

  • 45 entities noting the Section 508 policy was published but does not include all relevant M-24-08 and Section 508 statutory requirements.

  • 39 entities noting the Section 508 policy was published and includes all relevant M-24-08 and Section 508 statutory requirements.

  • 41 entities noting the Section 508 policy is published, includes all relevant M-24-08 and Section 508 statutory requirements, and is referenced in other relevant policies.

Bar chart of FY24 response count for status of Section 508 or ICT accessibility policy (Q34) showing 39 entities do not have a policy, 74 entities have a draft policy, 45 entities have a published policy without relevant statutory requirements, 39 entities have a published policy with relevant statutory requirements, 41 entities have a published policy with relevant statutory requirements and referenced in other policies, and 7 entities do not know the status of their policy.
Figure 15. FY24 response count for status of Section 508 or ICT accessibility policy (Q34).

Respondents selected how often their Section 508 program engages internally or externally with disability-related affinity groups to inform ICT accessibility program maturity. The majority of respondents, 132 respondents or 54%, selected they sometimes or never engage with disability-related affinity groups. Seventy-seven (77) respondents or 31% noted they sometimes, regularly, or frequently engage.

Respondents listed several investments in their Section 508 program but also noted primary challenges in implementing and complying with Section 508. The top five responses were:

  • Lack of staffing resources: 184 respondents or 75%.

  • Lack of general awareness: 124 respondents or 51%.

  • Lack of or inadequate training: 120 respondents or 49%.

  • Lack of funding or budget: 112 respondents or 46%.

  • Lack of or inadequate considerations early in the ICT lifecycle management process: 104 respondents or 42%.

When asked the top five items that would be the most helpful in implementing Section 508 in the reporting entity, the top responses selected were:

  • Additional funding to aid Section 508 implementation: 171 respondents or 70%.

  • More staff adequately trained to implement Section 508 requirements: 155 respondents or 63%.

  • More ICT accessibility subject matter experts: 93 respondents or 38%.

  • Stronger Section 508 awareness across the reporting entity: 83 respondents or 34%.

  • Better access to ICT testing tools: 70 respondents or 29%.

As the findings above indicate, there is opportunity to advance the maturity of entities’ Section 508 programs. One hundred thirteen (113) entities currently lack a Section 508 or ICT Accessibility policy. Developing and implementing policies that align with Section 508 standards, as well as other relevant laws and regulations, will provide a foundation for improving these programs. Given that more mature entities typically achieve better conformance outcomes, this approach is likely to lead to improved results across the federal government as a whole.

  1. One entity did not answer this question; for FY24 we have 244 responses. ↩
  2. Response options underwent editing and one response option was added in FY24, which does not allow for a direct comparison YOY. ↩
  3. Response options underwent editing and one response option was added in FY24, which does not allow for a direct comparison YOY. ↩

Reviewed/Updated: December 2024

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