Accessibility

The Department of Homeland Security is committed to providing accessible Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to individuals with disabilities, including members of the public and federal employees, by meeting or exceeding the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794d)

Section 508 requires agencies, during the procurement, development, maintenance, or use of ICT, to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to and use of ICT information and data comparable to the access and use afforded to individuals without disabilities (i.e., “ICT accessibility”), unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency.   The Section 508 standards are the technical requirements and criteria that are used to measure conformance with the law and incorporate the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.   

More information on Section 508 and the technical standards can be found on Section508.gov. 

Office of Accessible Systems & Technology

The Office of Accessible Systems & Technology (OAST) guides and supports all Department components in removing barriers to information access and employment of qualified individuals with disabilities in accord with the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended). OAST is part of both the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Office of Chief Information Officer.

Report accessibility issues or file a formal complaint

If you have feedback, questions, or concerns relating to the accessibility of any content that interferes with your ability to access the information on the Department of Homeland Security's website, please contact Website Issues for assistance.

If you believe that the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) used by the Department of Homeland Security does not comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, you may file a 508 complaint by contacting Accessibility@hq.dhs.gov. To enable us to respond in a manner most helpful to you, please indicate the nature of your accessibility problem, the preferred format in which to receive the material, the web address (URL) of the material with which you are having difficulty, and your contact information.

If you wish to file a civil rights and civil liberties complaint, please use the CRCL complaint submission process.

If you believe that a physical facility that is designed, built, altered, or leased with Federal funds by the Department of Homeland Security does not comply with the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), refer to the US Access Board’s website under ABA  Enforcement – File a Complaint.

Related Accessibility Laws

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 794)

DHS is committed to strengthening and supporting full inclusion and equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in its programs and activities, through enforcement and compliance with requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, including Section 504. DHS Section 504 Policy and resources

Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. §§ 4151--57)

The Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) requires access to facilities that are designed, built, altered, or leased with Federal funds. The Access Board is the federal agency responsible for enforcing the ABA. The Access Board's accessibility standards are available on the US Access Board website.

Contact Information

Office of Accessible Systems & Technology
Department of Homeland Security
245 Murray Lane, SW
Suite 2020, Mailstop (0137)
Washington, DC 20528

Phone: 202-447-0440
Fax: 202-447-0582

By e-mail:
accessibility@hq.dhs.gov