Questions answered by this guide
- What's the difference between Section 508 and WCAG?
- Does Section 508 apply to my organization?
- Do I need a separate checklist for Section 508 compliance?
- Is meeting WCAG AA enough to satisfy Section 508?
What you'll learn
- Section 508 is the legal obligation, WCAG is the technical standard it points to, they're not two separate checklists
- Section 508 applies to federal agencies directly, and often flows down to contractors and federally funded programs through procurement requirements
- There's no separate "508 checklist" distinct from a WCAG AA checklist, for eLearning content, they're the same technical work
What's inside
L&D and compliance teams at federal agencies, contractors, or organizations asked about Section 508 compliance
- 01What Section 508 actually is
- 02How it relates to WCAG
- 03Who Section 508 actually applies to
- 04What this means for your eLearning course
Why it matters
Teams sometimes treat Section 508 and WCAG as two separate compliance efforts, building extra process around a distinction that doesn't really exist for eLearning content. Understanding that Section 508 points directly at WCAG, rather than defining its own separate rules, saves real duplicated effort and clarifies what "508 compliant" actually requires technically.
When you'll encounter this
- You work for or contract with a U.S. federal agency and have been asked whether your course is "508 compliant."
- A procurement or RFP process asks for Section 508 conformance documentation.
- You're deciding whether your organization needs to track WCAG and Section 508 as separate requirements.
Best practices
- Treat "Section 508 compliant" and "WCAG 2.0 Level AA compliant" as the same technical target for eLearning content, don't build separate checklists for each.
- If asked for 508 compliance documentation specifically, that's usually a request for a VPAT or ACR, see VPAT Preparation Guide, not a different set of technical checks.
- Confirm with whoever owns compliance at your organization whether Section 508 applies directly (federal agency) or flows down through a contract or funding requirement, the technical work is the same either way, but who's asking matters for documentation.
- Don't assume Section 508 only matters for public-facing content, internal federal agency training is generally in scope too.
Common mistakes
- Building or tracking two separate accessibility checklists, one for "WCAG" and one for "508," when the technical requirement is the same.
- Assuming Section 508 doesn't apply because a course is internal, non-public training rather than a public website.
- Not realizing a request for "508 compliance" is usually really a request for a VPAT/ACR documenting WCAG conformance.
How A11yCheck reviews this
A11yCheck's Accessibility pillar checks against WCAG success criteria directly, the same technical standard Section 508 incorporates by reference. It doesn't determine your organization's legal Section 508 obligations, that's a compliance/legal question, but the accessibility testing itself is the same work either way.
Frequently asked questions
Is meeting WCAG Level AA the same as being Section 508 compliant?
For the technical accessibility requirements, yes, Section 508 incorporates WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA by reference. Section 508 compliance can also involve process and documentation requirements (like a VPAT) beyond the technical checks themselves.
Does Section 508 apply to internal, non-public training?
Generally yes, for federal agencies and many federally funded programs, Section 508 isn't limited to public-facing content. Confirm your organization's specific obligation with whoever owns compliance, since funding and contract structures vary.
Do state or local government agencies have to follow Section 508?
Section 508 itself is a federal requirement; state and local agencies are more often governed by other laws (such as state-level statutes or the ADA) that frequently reference the same WCAG standard, worth confirming your specific jurisdiction's requirement rather than assuming Section 508 itself applies directly.
Related Guides
WCAG for eLearning: A Practical Introduction→
What WCAG actually is, and what it means for a Storyline or Rise course. No legal jargon.
VPAT Preparation Guide: What It Is and How to Get Ready→
A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is a standardized document a vendor fills out to describe how their product conforms to accessibility standards like WCAG or Section 508. It's a self-reported disclosure a buyer can evaluate, not a certification or seal of approval from a third party.
WCAG 2.2 vs 2.1: What Changed for eLearning→
WCAG 2.2 is backward-compatible with 2.1, it adds new success criteria on top rather than replacing anything (with one exception: 4.1.1 Parsing was dropped as obsolete). Most of the new criteria are things this Learning Hub already covers under other names, target size and focus order chief among them, this page frames them specifically as what's new.
What Can A11yCheck Review Automatically?→
A11yCheck's automated scan reliably detects structural and technical accessibility issues, like missing alt text, low contrast, and broken keyboard access, but it can't judge instructional quality, learning objectives, or whether an image's description is actually accurate. Here's exactly where that line sits.
Summary
Section 508 is the legal requirement; WCAG (2.0 Level A and AA) is the technical standard it incorporates by reference. For eLearning content, there's one real technical checklist, not two, meeting WCAG AA is what satisfies Section 508's technical bar.
Review your course before you publish it.
A11yCheck reviews Storyline and Rise courses for:
- Accessibility
- Course Quality
- Course Engagement
www.a11ycheck-dev.com