Section 508
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
The US federal accessibility standard. Requires captions and transcripts on all federal-government-procured video content.
In depth
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires US federal agencies to make their electronic content accessible. The 2017 refresh aligned Section 508 with WCAG 2.0 Level AA. For video, this means captions for all prerecorded content, transcripts where appropriate, and audio descriptions for visual-only content. Section 508 applies directly to federal agencies and indirectly to any company that sells software or media to the federal government — making it a de facto standard for enterprise procurement.
When to use it
Reference Section 508 when delivering to US federal customers, federal contractors, or large enterprise buyers that mirror federal procurement standards.
Frequently asked
Does Section 508 apply outside the US federal government?+
Not legally — but many state governments, universities, and Fortune 500 procurement teams adopt 508 as their accessibility baseline. In practice it covers a huge slice of the US enterprise market.
What's the difference between Section 508 and ADA Title III?+
Section 508 is procurement-focused (federal-purchased content). ADA Title III covers public accommodations more broadly, including websites under recent court rulings. Both effectively require captions on public-facing video.