The Lowdown on 508 Compliance for Videos and Podcasts

508 compliance is a phrase you’ve probably heard before if your business has an online presence to showcase its product or services. While 508 compliance is legally required for some media, by meeting 508 compliance standards you ensure that your media is accessible and available to all users on the internet. This article will tell you what Section 508 compliance is, and how it applies to your videos, podcasts, and other media.

What is Section 508?­­

Section 508 refers to a piece of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that details specific requirements for making media accessible to people with disabilities. Section 508 was substantially amended to expand its scope in 1998 and continues to be enforced to this day.

You can read the text of Section 508 in full here – make sure you’re caffeinated.

Does my business need to comply with Section 508?

If your business creates multimedia productions of any sort, that media is legally required to be section 508 compliant before it can be used by any government agency or institution that receives federal funds – such as universities, NASA, the EPA, the Department of Defense, etc.

If your business has been contracted by a government department or agency to create a website for it, Section 508 would also apply to any work you create that goes live on the contracted website.

If you intend to never sell or license your media to any federal agency, you are not legally required to make that media 508 compliant, though it’s probably a good idea anyway for good SEO.

How do I comply?

Videos: To be 508 compliant, videos must include closed captions that are synchronized with your video. Paragraph C, Section 508 1194.24

Podcasts and other sound files: In everyday terms, this means you’ll need to get a transcript (converting speech to text) of your podcast or sound files because a “text equivalent” is required for Podcasts and sound files to meet 508 compliance standards. Paragraph A, Section 508 1194.22

508 Certifications

Beware of false advertising. There is no such thing as being “Section 508 Certified” or “Section 508 Certification,” so be sure you choose a vendor who prominently gives references by name from known companies and is recommended by third parties.

Why 508 compliance can benefit private sector businesses

Some type of hearing impairment affects over 10% of our global population. By making your media 508 compliant, you instantly give close to 700 MILLION more people a fair opportunity to see what you have to say.

Think of it this way – the more formats in which you present your content, the more accessible it ends up being on the whole.

When you add captions to your videos and transcribe your podcasts with a service like Speechpad you open your content up to a wider audience and help make your business more successful.

Free transcripts of current events are available here!