Non-Profit Organizations and Section 508

I am helping with a 501(c) non-profit orginization and during discussions about our website someone mentioned that it might need to be 508 compliant.
Do you know if this is true?


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ANSWER
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Hi Ken,

Section 508 Standards outlines the legal requirements for Federal agencies to offer full access to all available information - regardless of disability or assistive technology used.

Thus, unless your non-profit organization is also part of the federal government, Section 508 does not apply.

That being said, why not offer the same opportunities to your website visitors that the government is legally compelled to offer? If cost is a factor you might want to check with your funding avenues. Many non-profit organizations are able to obtain technology grants to cover accessibility upgrades.

For further information on what it would take to bring your site into compliance, SAMSA offers a free simple accessibility report. The bottom line is, website accessibility is not just a legal issue, it's the right thing to do.