Section 508 Compliance Unlocked a $2.3M Federal Software Contract
A defense technology contractor needed to demonstrate full Section 508 conformance across three software platforms to win a federal IDIQ contract. BuildWithAccess delivered a complete audit and remediation program in 5 weeks.
$2.3M
Contract value unlocked
3
Applications achieving 508 conformance
5 weeks
Audit to remediation complete
100%
Section 508 criteria conformant
The Challenge
What A Federal Software Contractor Was Facing
A federal software contractor was shortlisted for a $2.3M IDIQ contract to deliver secure workflow management software to a federal agency. The solicitation required documented proof of Section 508 conformance for all three applications in the proposed solution. Without conformance testing backed by real assistive-technology testing, the contractor would be disqualified from the award.
Internal engineering teams had never worked to federal accessibility standards. An initial review flagged over 80 potential issues across the three platforms, none of which had existing accessibility documentation. With the proposal deadline five weeks away, time was the critical constraint.
Our Approach
How We Solved It
Ran parallel audit tracks for all three platforms — web portal, document management module, and reporting dashboard — with a dedicated auditor assigned to each.
Completed automated axe-core scanning and manual WCAG 2.0 AA testing across all three applications within the first week.
Conducted screen reader testing using JAWS with Chrome on Windows, matching the target federal agency's declared assistive technology environment from the solicitation.
Applied ANDI (Accessible Name and Description Inspector) keyboard and focus testing per DHS Trusted Tester methodology, a recognized federal testing standard.
Prioritized remediation of any criterion that would otherwise be marked as a non-conformance — all such issues were resolved before final documentation began.
Worked alongside the contractor's engineers to fix the highest-risk failures: custom dropdown menus (WCAG 4.1.2), data tables without header associations (WCAG 1.3.1), and low-contrast interface text (WCAG 1.4.3).
Documented full Section 508 conformance testing results for all three applications, with detailed remarks and explanations for every criterion, reviewed by a former federal 508 Program Manager.
The Outcome
What We Achieved Together
Complete conformance documentation for all three applications was submitted with the proposal on deadline. Every mandatory criterion was verified as conformant, with detailed, auditor-signed explanations. The contractor was awarded the contract and retained BuildWithAccess for quarterly Section 508 monitoring through the contract period.
The engagement produced a lasting internal change: the engineering team, having worked alongside our auditors during remediation, now includes Section 508 acceptance criteria in every user story — reducing remediation cost on future deliverables.
“We needed real Section 508 conformance fast, not a rubber stamp — federal procurement officers know the difference. BuildWithAccess gave us testing and documentation we could stand behind, and it is a big reason we won the contract.”
Services Used
- Section 508 Audit
- Remediation
- Ongoing Compliance Monitoring
Standards Achieved
- Section 508
- WCAG 2.0 AA
- EN 301 549
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