Accessibility Statement 2026: Notice of Rights

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794d)

Force Design 2028 Transformation

As Force Design 2028 drives the changes needed to transform the Coast Guard, we are committed to ensuring technology improves operations and delivers mission results. The Coast Guard adheres to accessibility guidelines and standards as promulgated by the U.S. Access Board with consideration of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) requirements.  We are committed to improving the customer experience (CX), plain language usage, and service delivery.

The Coast Guard designs and maintains web pages to meet or exceed the Section 508 standards, which are the technical requirements that ensure compliance with Section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act. The Coast Guard conforms to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and their industry standard Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1; this meets Level A/AA standards. Our websites are continually tested and modified to ensure the information, features, and content are accessible to people with disabilities, this means our electronic content is accessible to most people.

The Coast Guard Section 508 Program Management Office

Our team of technical experts can answer any general program, policy or technical questions about our implementation of Section 508 policy or guidelines and acquisition requirements for ICT in the Coast Guard. 

Policy

Section 508 Compliance, Commandant Instruction 5230.60 (series) 

About ICT

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 508) requires all ICT that is developed, procured, maintained, or used by a federal agency to be accessible to people with disabilities. Examples of ICT include software applications, web sites, telephones, kiosks, and multimedia. Standards for Section 508 compliance are developed and maintained by the United States Access Board. Further information about the Access Board's standards and Section 508 generally may be found at www.section508.gov.

Available Remediation Processes

Contact us at Section.508@uscg.mil if you need a compliant version or alternative means of ICT.   Please include:

• The nature of your accessibility challenge;
• The URL of the page the inaccessible content was found on;
• The preferred alternative means format in which you want to receive any materials; and,
• Your contact information (email, phone or address).

We will respond to your initial request within 48 hours; we will then work with Internal Sponsors of ICT content to provide you with an alternative means or accessible content that resolves the challenge.

File an Official Complaint

We strive to proactively resolve ICT challenges promptly.  However, you may file an administrative complaint with the Coast Guard Civil Rights Directorate.  File complaints within 180 days of the alleged act of discrimination. For information about filing a complaint against the EEOC under Section 508, contact the Office of Equal Opportunity at (202) 663-7081 or TTY at (202) 663-7002.

To file a complaint against another agency, contact that agency's Section 508 Coordinator. Contact information for Section 508 Coordinators may be found at https://www.section508.gov/tools/coordinator-listing.

To file a complaint with U.S. Department of Homeland Security contact accessibility@hq.dhs.gov