The Difference Between the ADA, Section 508, and WCAG

Back to blog

The Difference Between the ADA, Section 508, and WCAG

Posted January 02, 2025

AudioEye

Posted January 02, 2025

An icon of a person, surrounded by three thought bubbles. The first says "ADA," the second says "Section 508," and the third says "WCAG." In the background, there is a repeating pattern of question marks
An icon of a person, surrounded by three thought bubbles. The first says "ADA," the second says "Section 508," and the third says "WCAG." In the background, there is a repeating pattern of question marks

Ready to see AudioEye in action?

Watch Demo

Building a strategy for digital accessibility compliance requires a basic understanding of U.S. accessibility laws, including the ADA, Section 508, and WCAG. Below, we’ll explain each law, who it applies to, and how each one is different.

Originally Posted on September 21, 2022

If you’re new to digital accessibility, you might feel overwhelmed by some terminology — especially when researching compliance.

Terms like “508”, “ADA,” “Title II,” and “WCAG’ can be confusing if you’re trying to determine which accessibility standards apply to your business and how to implement them into your digital content. Understanding these terms, however, is crucial to building a successful accessibility strategy — one that minimizes your legal risk and creates a good experience for your users. 

Below, we’ll look at the differences between the U.S.’ top accessibility laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). We’ll also discuss how to make your digital compliant with Section 508, the ADA, and WCAG. 

Before we dive into how each standard differs from the other, let’s review what each one is.

A map of the United States behind an icon of a set of scales. On the right, there is a list of accessibility laws and technical standards

What is the Americans with Disabilities Act?

The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are “open to the general public.” 

Two sections of the ADA are especially relevant to digital accessibility:

  • Title II: Title II of the ADA applies specifically to state and local governments.
  • Title III: Title III applies to private businesses, non-profit organizations, and other agencies that operate “places of public accommodation”

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), websites are considered places of public accommodation and are covered by Title III of the ADA. The law also applies to digital resources (like mobile apps and online documents) that are available to the public. More simply, most business websites should be ADA-compliant.

Title II has the same basic requirements as Title III but contains additional requirements for assigning an ADA coordinator, evaluating accessibility, establishing grievance procedures, and other administrative functions.


Additionally, under the ADA, people with disabilities can file complaints against non-compliant organizations. But while the ADA requires digital accessibility, it doesn’t contain any technical standards for websites. (Not a surprise considering it was written years before the internet became a fixture of our daily lives.). Instead, the DOJ recommends using WCAG guidelines to evaluate the accessibility of digital content.

What is Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973?

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was the first federal law to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities. It applies to federal agencies, contractors, and any program that receives federal funding from the U.S. government. 

In 1998, the Rehabilitation Act was amended to include Section 508, which requires agencies to “give disabled employees and members of the public access to information comparable to the access available to others.”

This addition was explicitly intended to address digital accessibility and applies to all electronic communications, including but not limited to:

  • Public-facing websites and mobile apps.
  • Internal and external emails.
  • PDFs and other digital documents.
  • Digital training resources. 


Unlike the ADA, Section 508 contains clear accessibility standards developed by the U.S. Access Board.

What are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)?

Published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WCAG is a set of guidelines designed to make digital content, including webpages, electronic documents, and mobile and web applications, more accessible to people with disabilities. 

WCAG guidelines are organized around four guiding principles — commonly known as POUR:

  • Content should be perceivable. It shouldn’t rely on a single type of sensory perception. 
  • Content should be operable. You shouldn’t require interactions that the user cannot perform.
  • Content should be understandable. Users should be able to understand the information on your website and the operation of the website’s interface.
  • Content should be robust. Your website should work with a wide variety of user agents, including screen readers and other assistive technology tools.

What are the Different WCAG Conformance Levels?

WCAG 2.1 includes 78 pass-or-fail statements called success criteria, which are organized into three levels of conformance:

  • Level A: This is the bare minimum and least strict accessibility level.
  • Level AA: This is considered to be the standard accessibility goal most organizations should aim for.
  • Level AAA: These guidelines are the most strict in terms of accessibility. 


As mentioned above, most organizations should aim for Level AA conformance with WCAG 2.1 to optimize compliance with the ADA and other digital accessibility laws.

How are the ADA, WCAG, and Section 508 Different?

The ADA, Section 508, and WCAG all aim to improve accessibility but differ in scope and application. The ADA is a U.S. civil rights law prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities in public and private spaces, including websites, but it does not specify technical standards.

Section 508 applies specifically to federal agencies and organizations receiving federal funding, requiring their information and communication technology meet accessibility standards.

WCAG, on the other hand, is an international set of technical guidelines developed by the W3C to make web content accessible to people with disabilities. 

More simply, the differences between these accessibility standards boil down to two things: 

  • Audience: Section 508 applies to federal agencies and departments; the ADA applies to the majority of businesses in both public and private sectors. WCAG, on the other hand, is a guide for businesses looking to build accessible websites to meet Section 508 and ADA compliance standards. 
  • Use: The use of each accessibility standard is different as well. For example, Section 508 ensures individuals with disabilities who are interacting with the federal government in online spaces can do so. The ADA ensures that disabled users have the same opportunities as non-disabled users and are not discriminated against. Finally, WCAG acts as a resource for organizations looking to increase compliance.

To better understand the differences between these standards, consider this example: in a WCAG 2.1 vs. ADA comparison, the ADA may require that a website is accessible but leaves the specifics open to interpretation, while WCAG 2.1 provides detailed criteria like ensuring keyboard navigation or adding alt text for images, which organizations often use to demonstrate ADA compliance.

The bottom line: Though each standard is different, they’re all designed to provide equal access to the disability community and create a more accessible experience for all.

Comparison

Swipe to see more

ADA

Section 508

WCAG

Type

U.S. Civil Rights Law

U.S. Federal Law

International accessibility guidelines

Scope

Broad; applies to both physical and digital properties

Digital; focuses on federal content

Digital only

Legal Status

Law

Law

Voluntary Standard

Enforcements

Lawsuits

Federal audits, lawsuits

Not enforceable directly

Who Does ADA, WCAG, and Section 508 Affect?

Each accessibility standard affects different business entities. 

For example, the ADA mandates that organizations, nonprofits, and local and state governments follow digital accessibility guidelines. Section 508, on the other hand, is only applicable to federal agencies or federal departments. These entities must ensure their operations are compliant with 508 standards or risk legal consequences, loss of reputation, and more. 

WCAG is a bit different. It is not a law or accessibility requirement but rather a set of international guidelines designed to make web content accessible to people with disabilities. In a WCAG 2.1 vs. ADA comparison, WCAG standards provide the technical framework — such as providing sufficient color contrast or seamless keyboard navigation — that businesses can use to meet ADA or Section 508 compliance. While your website does not legally have to conform to WCAG, using it as a guide is a best practice for achieving compliance and avoiding non-compliance legal risks.

How Do I Become ADA, WCAG, and 508 Compliant?

Ensuring your digital content complies with ADA and Section 508 standards and conforms to WCAG 2.1 Level AA is critical for fostering inclusivity and accessibility for all users — regardless of their abilities. 

The first step to compliance is testing how accessible your current content is. A free accessibility checker, like this one from AudioEye, gives you a great starting point. Conducting regular accessibility testing can also help you eliminate the most common compliance errors, including:

  • Missing image alternative text (also called alt text), which describes images for people who cannot perceive content visually. 
  • Keyboard accessibility issues affect people who use assistive technology and navigate online environments using a keyboard alone.
  • Videos with missing or inaccurate captions affect users with hearing impairments (e.g., deafness or hard of hearing).
  • Low-contrast text may be unreadable for people with visual impairments.
  • Improper heading structure can make it difficult for screen readers to convey the correct content hierarchy to users. 
  • Missing or unclear link descriptions can confuse users relying on screen readers if links are only labeled as “click here” or “read more.”
  • Content requiring a specific screen orientation, such as portrait-only layouts, can be inaccessible for users with motor disabilities or those using assistive devices.
  • Time-sensitive interactions without sufficient warnings or extensions can disadvantage users with cognitive or motor impairments.
  • Time-sensitive interactions without sufficient warnings or extensions can disadvantage users with cognitive or motor impairments.
  • Inaccessible forms, such as those missing labels or clear error messages, can prevent users with disabilities from completing tasks.
A stylized webpage with a magnifying glass positioned over an accessibility icon.

Next Steps to Improve Your Website’s Accessibility

One of the biggest challenges in digital accessibility is that websites are always changing. Whether new content is added or personalization based on user actions and preferences is implemented, websites rarely stay the same for long. This makes complying with accessibility standards like the ADA and Section 508 especially challenging. 

To stay current with changing accessibility guidelines, it’s critical to regularly test your website’s accessibility. However, this can be time-consuming and cost-prohibitive for organizations. That’s where AudioEye comes in.

Our powerful Accessibility Platform scans for 30 WCAG success criteria — more than any other tool on the market — and automatically applies fixes, streamlining your path to compliance. We take accessibility a step further with audits from accessibility experts and the disability community. With AudioEye’s hybrid approach to accessibility, you save time and up to 90% in costs compared to traditional accessibility methods. Coupled with AudioEye Assurance, you’ll gain peace of mind knowing your digital content is 400% more protected than consulting or automation-only approaches.

With AudioEye’s three-pronged approach to accessibility, you can streamline your path to ADA and Section 508 compliance, WCAG conformance, and enhanced website accessibility.


Want to find and fix accessibility issues that may be impacting your users’ experience? Get started with a free scan of your website.


Ready to see AudioEye in action? Schedule a demo today.

Ready to see AudioEye in action?

Watch Demo

Ready to test your website for accessibility?

Scan your website now.

Share post

Topics:

Keep Reading