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Roles and Responsibilities

Agencies need clear governance and strong leadership to guide Section 508 programs, which establishes the importance of accessibility, improves compliance, and minimizes legal exposure. An agency’s IT Accessibility/508 program’s success also depends on the involvement of many other key players.

The tables below list the roles and responsibilities for agency officials, content creators and other stakeholders.

Agency Program Management
Role Responsibilities
Agency Section 508 Program Manager
  • Manage an agency Section 508 program on behalf of the agency Chief Information Officer (CIO), to include developing and maintaining agency policies, guidance, and best practices.
  • Provide consultation to, or participate in, agency capital planning and/or business case development and IT governance to ensure Information and CommunicationTechnology (ICT) appropriately considers Section 508 across the IT and acquisition lifecycles.
  • Partner with other Section 508 Coordinators throughout the Federal Government to assist in meeting Section 508 goals and objectives.
  • Ensure that individuals involved in acquisition planning and requirements generation specify needs, develop plans, specifications, etc., that address ICT accessibility using standards issued in 36 CFR part 1194.
Agency Chief Information Officer (CIO)
  • Establish and provide leadership for the agency Sectiion 508 program
  • Appoint the agency Section 508 Program Manager/Coordinator.
  • Ensure Section 508 accessibility considerations are incorporated into the planning, operation, and management of any ICT that the agency develops, uses, or maintains.
  • In collaboration with agency CAO, ensure Section 508 is considered in ICT procured by the agency.
Agency Chief Acquisition Officer (CAO)
  • Responsible for agency performance of acquisition activities and acquisition programs, to include development of the agency's acquisition workforce.
  • In collaboration with the CIO, ensure Section 508 requirements are incorporated into any IT that is procured by the agency.
Agency Senior Procurement Executive (SPE)
  • Responsible for management direction of the acquisition systems of an executive branch agency, including the implementation of the unique acquisition policies, regulations, and standards of the agency.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
  • Responsible for ensuring Section 508 accessibility considerations are incorporated into the planning, operation, and management of any IT infrastructure that the agency develops, uses, or maintains.

Key Agency Stakeholders
Role Responsibilities
Audio, Video and Multimedia Creators
  • Create and publish accessible audio, video and synchronized media content.
  • In collaboration with website managers, ensure that media has playback controls, captioning, audio description, and text alternatives.
Content Creators & Document Authors
  • Create and publish accessible content, documents, products and systems.
Developers
  • Create and maintain software, websites and mobile applications that conform with Section 508 Standards.
Enterprise architecture
  • Ensure the accessibility of the IT portfolio products and services that the agency procured, develops, uses and maintains.
  • Ensure that individuals involved in acquisition planning and requirements generate specific needs, develop plans, specifications, etc., that address IT accessibility using standards issued in 36 CFR part 1194.
Procedural, Training and Education Developer/Designer
  • Ensure Section 508 requirements and best-practices are integrated into electronic content, such as procedures, training materials, online training and learning management systems.
Quality Assurance Specialist/Tester
  • Evaluate agency ICT for conformance with Section 508 standards, and maintain record of findings.
Scrum master
  • Ensure product backlog items are clearly defined and managed efficiently.
Security engineering
  • Collaborate with project managers, Section 508 program managers, and enterprise architecture professionals to ensure agency IT portfolio products and authenticated and transactional services conform with Section 508 standards.
  • Ensure that ICT products and services avoid introducing security risks associated with non-conformance.
UI/UX and CE Designers
  • Ensure that user interfaces and experiences enable people with disabilities to access information equivalent to those without disabilities in accordance with Section 508 standards issued in 36 CFR part 1194.
Website Managers/Content Managers
  • Ensure Section 508 accessibility considerations are incorporated into the planning, operation, monitoring, upgrading and management of any website that the agency procures, develops, uses, or maintains.
  • Ensure that electronic content and media published and distributed on the agency's website conform with Section 508 standards.
  • Ensure that publicly available websites conform with the U.S. Web Design System.
Agency Employees
  • Create and publish accessible content, products and systems.
  • Create, publish, and collaborate using accessible techniques and best practices.
  • Schedule and host meetings and other events using accessible materials and techniques to ensure people with disabilities have equivalent access to information.

Government-wide Implementation Guidance
Role Responsibilities
General Services Administration (GSA)
  • In collaboration with the Access Board (USAB), provide Section 508 technical assistance, tools, and workforce development support to Federal agencies.
  • Lead development and management of tools, such as Section508.gov and the Accessibility Requirements Tool, for use by the acquisition, IT, and Section 508 coordinator communities.
Access Board (USAB)
  • Promote accessibility for individuals with disabilities by developing accessibility standards for information and communications technology (ICT).
  • Periodically review and amend standards to reflect changes and advances in technology.
  • In collaboration with GSA, provide technical assistance concerning the implementation of the Section 508 standards.
CIO Council Accessibility Committee
Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council
  • Incorporate Access Board standards into the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) as appropriate.

Reporting
Role Responsibilities
Federal Agencies
  • Evaluate the extent to which the agency’s ICT are accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities per the Instructions and criteria of the annual Government-wide Section 508 Assessment.
  • Prepare and submit a report containing the evaluations to the GSA and OMB.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
  • In coordination with GSA and USAB, disseminate amended or updated criteria, the metrics by which compliance will be assessed, and instructions to Federal departments or agencies for annual evaluation and reporting.
General Services Administration (GSA)
  • Annually, conduct a survey of all Federal agencies to ascertain status of compliance with Section 508.
  • Provide technical assistance to agencies regarding their annual assessments and data submissions.
  • In coordination with OMB, prepare and submit to the Committees on Appropriations and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committees on Appropriations and Oversight and Reform of the House of Representatives a report on, and recommendations regarding, the state of Federal agency compliance with Section 508.
  • Post agency submissions as an open Government data asset on a public website.
U.S. Access Board (USAB)
  • Provide technical assistance to agencies regarding their annual assessments and data submissions.
Department of Justice (DOJ)
  • Biennially, conduct a survey of all Federal agencies to ascertain status of compliance with Section 508.
  • Biennially, prepare and submit to the President and Congress a report on, and recommendations regarding, the state of Federal agency compliance with Section 508.

The roles and responsibilities cited in this article were informed by federal regulations and commonly accepted information technology industry roles and best practices including, but not limited to:

Reviewed/Updated: August 2023

Section508.gov

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