Section 508 and Copyright

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended in 1998, is a federal law that requires agencies to provide individuals with disabilities equal access to electronic information and data comparable to those who do not have disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. The Section 508 standards are the technical requirements and criteria that are used to measure conformance within this law.

More information about 508 compliance is available online at these sites:

• https://www.section508.gov
• https://www.buyaccessible.gov
• https://www.w3.org/WAI/
• https://webaim.org
• https://webaim.org/standards/508/checklist

Online accessibility checkers available will search your site and check for any non-compliance issues. One of these sites is located here: https://wave.webaim.org.

Section 508 Checklist

The following checklist can be used to ensure that your site is accessible. Each item is explained further down on this page under "Principles of Accessible Design".

• Images contain alternate text.
• Tables contain a header or footer row and a summary.
• The font colors applied provide appropriate contrast.
• Iframe scrolling is not disabled.
• Links are provided for any necessary plugins/software that are required to view content within your site.

Copyright

You are responsible for the content and images on your site; ensuring you are within copyright compliance is your responsibility. 

Copyright is a form of protection, authorized by the United States Constitution, that gives photographers, artists, authors, musicians, choreographers and architects the exclusive right to use and reproduce their works. Essentially, all original works can be copyrighted to include photographs, art works, sculptures, writings, music, and computer software. Virtually all works created or first published after January 1, 1978 are protected by copyright. Many works created prior to 1978 are also protected. 

Generally, copyright owners have the exclusive right to use and copy their works. Copyright owners can also authorize others to use their works. The use or copying of any work without permission from the owner of the copyright is a violation of the United States Copyright Act. 

Intellectual property must be managed carefully. Copyright holders have exclusive rights to their work. If in doubt about the copyright status of a work, it is best to ask permission for use. Copyright does not protect the following:

• U.S. government works
• Works in the Public Domain
• Ideas, facts, and data

Fair Use Guidelines

Certain uses of copyrighted materials do not require permission from the copyright holder. This exemption to the copyright law is called "Fair Use." For more information about Fair Use Guidelines for copyrighted materials, please view the Fair Use Guidelines from the United States Copyright Office website.