Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Section 504 bans disability discrimination in any programme that receives US federal funding — which increasingly includes their websites and digital services.
Section 504 predates Section 508 and is broader: it applies to any organisation that takes federal money, such as universities, hospitals and non-profits. Recent rulemaking has made clear that web and mobile accessibility (to WCAG 2.1 AA) falls under it.
Recipients of federal funding — public universities, healthcare providers, schools and grant-funded organisations.
Equal access to programmes and services, which for digital content means WCAG 2.1 AA conformance.
In force; specific WCAG deadlines apply to healthcare and human-services recipients under recent HHS rules.
Loss of federal funding and civil-rights complaints. For a university or hospital, that is an existential risk, not a fine.
Not sure whether Section 504 applies to you, or where you stand against it? We\'ll audit your site and tell you plainly.
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