What Is Section 508?

Section 508 is a U.S. federal law (part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, amended in 1998 and refreshed in 2017) that requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities. It applies to:

All federal agencies and their contractors
Any technology purchased, developed, or maintained by the federal government
Websites, software, documents, and hardware

After the 2017 refresh, Section 508 directly incorporates WCAG 2.0 Level AA as its technical standard for web content. This means meeting WCAG 2.0 AA = meeting Section 508 for web-based tools.

What Is WCAG 2.1?

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are published by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). WCAG 2.1, released in 2018, extends WCAG 2.0 with 17 new success criteria focused on mobile accessibility, cognitive disabilities, and low vision users.

WCAG has three conformance levels:

Level A — minimum accessibility (25 criteria)
Level AA — standard target for most organizations (13 additional criteria)
Level AAA — enhanced accessibility (23 additional criteria, not typically required)

Key Differences

Aspect	Section 508	WCAG 2.1 AA
Scope	US federal agencies & contractors	Global — any website or application
Legal force	US federal law	Technical standard (referenced by laws)
Technical standard	References WCAG 2.0 AA	WCAG 2.1 (extends 2.0)
Mobile criteria	Not explicitly (via WCAG 2.0)	Yes — 17 new criteria for mobile/touch
Enforcement	Federal procurement, complaints	Varies by jurisdiction (ADA, EAA, etc.)
Documentation	VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template)	VPAT or ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report)

The Overlap: Why You Should Target WCAG 2.1 AA

Since Section 508 references WCAG 2.0 AA, meeting WCAG 2.1 AA automatically satisfies Section 508. But the reverse isn't true — WCAG 2.1 adds criteria that Section 508 doesn't explicitly require yet.

Best practice for government agencies: target WCAG 2.1 AA. You'll satisfy Section 508, ADA Title II, EN 301 549 (EU), and the European Accessibility Act all at once. Future-proof your compliance.

How This Applies to PDF Tools

When a government agency selects a PDF tool, procurement officers check:

Does the vendor publish a VPAT? (MiOffice: yes)
Does the tool support keyboard navigation? (MiOffice: full keyboard access)
Is the tool screen reader compatible? (MiOffice: ARIA labels on all controls)
Does it meet contrast requirements? (MiOffice: WCAG AA 4.5:1 minimum)
Does it work without uploading files to a third party? (MiOffice: 100% browser-based)

Related Standards

Standard	Region	Relationship to WCAG
ADA Title II & III	US	DOJ references WCAG 2.1 AA as technical standard
EN 301 549	EU	Directly incorporates WCAG 2.1 AA for web content
European Accessibility Act	EU	References EN 301 549 (which references WCAG 2.1)
AODA	Ontario, Canada	Requires WCAG 2.0 AA for large organizations

Bottom Line

Target WCAG 2.1 AA and you satisfy Section 508, ADA, EN 301 549, and EAA simultaneously. When selecting PDF tools, demand a published VPAT, verify keyboard access, and confirm files aren't uploaded to third-party servers. MiOffice checks every box.

508 Compliant Suite ADA Compliant Suite View VPAT Accessibility Statement Certifications

Section 508 vs WCAG 2.1: What Government Agencies Need to Know

Try it free — no signup required