Section 508 was last substantively updated by the 2017 “Section 508 Refresh,” which replaced its older technical criteria with a direct reference to WCAG 2.0 Level AA success criteria for web content. It applies to federal agency websites and software, and frequently flows down as a contractual requirement to any vendor selling technology to the federal government, as well as to organizations receiving federal funding.
Compliance is typically documented through a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template), which federal procurement officers use to evaluate a product’s accessibility before purchase.