Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires federal agencies to ensure that electronic and information technology used by the government can be accessed and used by people with disabilities. Accessibility for those with disabilities is a problem that has been solved through technological advances since 1973 and this section is no longer needed.
The issue with this law is that it was written in 1973 and does not apply to today’s technology. Every single office in the Federal Government has a 508-compliance representative and every Federal employee undergoes yearly training to comply with this antiquated law. The technology of today makes electronic documents accessible through civilian software. The burden for accessibility in this case can be lifted from the Federal Government. The tax dollars that are wasted through training, time and resources on this 50-year-old law is disgraceful.
Additionally, repealing this law or rewriting it would allow for changes in font and typeface to occur in every agency that could save more tax dollars. Those with disabilities will still have access, but at no cost to taxpayers.