What is Section 508 and who does it apply to?

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 794d, 36 CFR Part 1194) requires U.S. Federal departments and agencies, federal contractors (under FAR 39.2), and federally funded programs to develop, procure, maintain, and use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) that is accessible to people with disabilities, including deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.

How does Acceasy support Section 508 Functional Performance Criteria (302.3 Without Hearing)?

Section 508 Chapter 3 Criterion 302.3 specifies that ICT providing auditory modes of operation must provide at least one mode of operation that does not require user hearing. Acceasy supports this requirement by delivering synchronized American Sign Language (ASL) video overlays and multimodal text layers across web pages, multimedia video players, live streams, and video meetings.

How does Acceasy assist with VPAT® and Accessibility Conformance Reports (ACR)?

Acceasy provides technical documentation and supporting data to assist federal agencies and software vendors in preparing their Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT 2.4/2.5 508 Edition) for criteria relating to time-based media, two-way voice communications (504), software applications (503), and electronic content.

How are American Sign Language (ASL) translations produced for U.S. Federal clients?

In partnership with Visual Voice Media, ASL content provided through Acceasy is translated by qualified human deaf and hearing interpreters, ensuring accurate cultural nuance, legal terminology, and emergency communication clarity, adhering to Deaf community standards against synthetic AI avatars.

How does Acceasy address Plain Language requirements under the Plain Writing Act and Section 508?

Acceasy incorporates ISO 24495-1 Plain Language consulting and auditing to help federal content become clear, concise, and understandable for individuals with cognitive, language, or learning disabilities, aligning with Section 508 Criterion 302.7.

U.S. Federal ICT Standards · 36 CFR Part 1194

Section 508 Standards & ICT Accessibility Support

Federal agencies, government contractors (FAR 39.2), and federally funded institutions must ensure Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is accessible without hearing. Acceasy provides synchronized American Sign Language (ASL) video overlays, real-time meeting interpreters, multimodal video players, and plain language adaptations to support federal accessibility goals with zero code refactoring.

View Section 508 Matrix ↓

The Federal ICT Accessibility Requirement

Under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 794d) and the Revised Section 508 Standards (36 CFR Part 1194) administered by the U.S. Access Board and GSA (Section508.gov), federal agencies are required to provide accessible electronic content, software, and two-way voice communications. For deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens and federal employees, text captions alone often fall short of full primary language communication. Acceasy delivers authentic American Sign Language (ASL) translation layers in partnership with Visual Voice Media to support genuine functional performance conformance.

Regulatory Mapping

Section 508 Criteria Addressed by Acceasy

Direct technical alignment with Revised 508 Chapters 3 (Functional Performance), 5 (Software), and WCAG Standards.

Section 508 Chapter / Rule	Standard / Provision	Federal Requirement	Acceasy Alignment Solution	Conformance Level
Chapter 3 · 302.3	FPC Without Hearing	Where ICT provides auditory modes of operation, provide at least one visual mode of operation that does not require user hearing.	Acceasy Web & Acceasy Player: Synchronized, human-interpreted ASL overlays and visual leaf-node bindings.	✓ Supports Conformance
Chapter 3 · 302.2	FPC With Limited Hearing	Where ICT provides auditory modes of operation, provide at least one mode that improves audio clarity and visual speech recognition.	Acceasy Meet & Acceasy Live: Synchronized live captions, adjustable contrast, and floating interpreter streams.	✓ Supports Conformance
Chapter 5 · 504.2	Software Two-Way Voice & Video	Real-time video communications must support video remote interpreting (VRI), visual clarity, and real-time captioning synchronization.	Acceasy Meet: Floating, background-free ASL interpreter window with dedicated user scaling and zero host dependencies.	✓ Supports Conformance
Chapter 5 · 503 & WCAG 1.2.6	Multimedia Sign Language (Prerecorded)	Prerecorded video and training media in federal applications must provide synchronized sign language interpretation.	Acceasy Player (AVP): Picture-in-Picture (PiP) and transparent ASL track synchronization for federal video catalogs.	✓ Supports Conformance
Chapter 3 · 302.7	Cognitive Plain Language	Provide visual modes and simplified language to accommodate cognitive, language, and learning abilities (Plain Writing Act of 2010 / ISO 24495-1).	Plain Language Consulting: Plain writing audits, ISO 24495-1 adaptations, and multimodal visual guides.	✓ Supports Conformance
Chapter 4 · 402/407	Physical ICT Kiosks & Exhibits	Public terminals, museum displays, and physical agency information stations must provide operable visual/sign language alternatives.	Acceasy Dive: Web-based camera recognition playing ASL descriptions on user devices with zero app downloads.	✓ Supports Conformance

VPAT® & Federal Procurement (FAR 39.2)

Acquiring commercial ICT solutions under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR Subpart 39.2) requires documented evidence of accessibility conformance. Acceasy provides technical documentation to support Accessibility Conformance Reports (ACRs) based on the VPAT 2.4/2.5 Section 508 Edition.

✓ Supports VPAT 2.4/2.5 Section 508 Edition Conformance
✓ Professional ASL in partnership with Visual Voice Media
✓ Zero Agency Code Refactoring or Security Overhead
✓ Compatible with FedRAMP-hosted portals & CDNs
✓ Designed to align with WCAG 2.1 / 2.2 Level AAA guidelines

The Acceasy Suite

Five Solutions for Federal Conformance

Purpose-built tools delivering seamless sign language accessibility across all federal touchpoints.

Acceasy Web

Client-side overlay integrating synchronized American Sign Language (ASL) on public agency portals and forms. Zero backend modifications.

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Acceasy Meet

Accessible video conferencing for federal hearings, town halls, and internal agency operations with dedicated floating ASL interpreter windows.

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Acceasy Live

Ultra-low latency transparent ASL interpreter overlay for federal live streams, press briefings, and emergency public announcements.

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Acceasy Player (AVP)

Multimodal video player with Picture-in-Picture ASL tracks, keyboard navigation, and alignment with Section 508 media guidelines.

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Acceasy Dive

Spatial camera recognition for National Parks, Smithsonian exhibits, VA medical centers, and federal visitor kiosks without app downloads.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Section 508 Standards & Conformance Support

Does Section 508 require sign language interpretation?

Under Section 508 Chapter 3 Criterion 302.3 (Functional Performance Criteria: Without Hearing), ICT that relies on auditory modes must provide at least one visual mode of operation that does not require user hearing. Furthermore, Section 508 incorporates WCAG standards requiring synchronized sign language (1.2.6) for prerecorded multimedia.

How does Acceasy ensure security and privacy for federal infrastructure?

Acceasy operates as a lightweight, sandboxed client-side layer. It does not harvest, store, or transmit citizen PII (Personally Identifiable Information), requires no server-side backend integration, and is compatible with FedRAMP-authorized hosting platforms.

Why are synthetic AI avatars insufficient for Section 508 federal conformance?

Automated AI avatars lack the grammatical accuracy, facial morphology, and spatial syntax required for American Sign Language. The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and National Association of the Deaf (NAD) have explicitly cautioned against AI avatars in public communications. Acceasy utilizes qualified professional human ASL interpreters in partnership with Visual Voice Media.

What is the difference between Section 508 and ADA Title III?

Section 508 specifically mandates accessibility for U.S. Federal departments, agencies, and federal procurement (FAR 39.2), whereas ADA Title III applies to private businesses and places of public accommodation. Acceasy solutions are designed to support conformance across both legal frameworks.