Do the standards require a contractors workplace to be Section 508 compliant?
No. Unlike some other civil rights laws (such as section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act), the section 508 responsibilities do not follow the receipt of Federal funds to contractors, but only apply to the product and services being procured by Federal agencies. Section 508 applies only to Federal agencies ‘ including their EIT products and services that are deliverables under a contract. Section 508 does not apply to a contractor’s own internal workplace EIT. For example, if a Federal agency enters into a contract to have a web site developed, the web site is required to meet the applicable technical provisions of the Access Board’s standards because the web site is the deliverable that is being acquired by the agency (unless, of course, an exception applies). However, the contractor’s office system used to develop the web site does not have to meet the technical provisions, since its equipment is incidental to the contract.
