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Digital Accessibility at NARA for Users with Disabilities

All National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) museums, research facilities, and Presidential Libraries are accessible and compliant with the ADA. For questions regarding a specific location’s accessibility, please contact the facility directly.

Section 508 & Architectural Barriers Notice of Rights - Notice of Rights Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794d and the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. §§ 4151--57).

Information Communication Technology

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is committed to making its electronic and information technologies accessible to the widest possible audience, including individuals with disabilities. NARA regularly monitors its sites to ensure that they meet and exceed the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended in 1998, and the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Our Accessibility Standards

  • Our web pages are designed to meet or exceed Section 508 standards, which are the technical requirements ensuring compliance with federal law.
  • We also conform to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C, the web's governing body) and their Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, found on the W3C website.
  • We meet Level AA standards, which means our content is accessible to most people in most circumstances.

Compatibility

  • Archives.gov content is compatible with major browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.
  • Archives.gov content can be viewed on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.

NARA's Section 508 Program 

NARA's Federal Section 508 Program Manager is the primary point of contact for NARA's efforts to provide individuals with disabilities with equal access to electronic information and data. These efforts pertain to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1998.

  •  Section 508 Program Manager: 
    • Farooq Khan 
  •  Section 508 Program Coordinator for the Web: 
    • Jocelyn Blakely-Hill
  • Email: 508feedback@nara.gov
    • This mailbox is specifically meant for inquiries related to digital accessibility for individuals with disabilities. 
    • For any other questions, including questions about digital records from the National Archives at St. Louis, please use the Contact Us Form
  • TTY Lines: To access a Telecommunications Relay Service, Dial 711 (more information on TRS services)

Alternate Access to Web Information

If the format of any material on our website interferes with your ability to access the information, contact us at the address above.

To allow us to respond in a manner most helpful to you, please let us know:

  1. Nature of your accessibility issue.
  2. Preferred format in which to receive the material.
  3. Web address (URL) of the material you are having difficulty with.
  4. Your contact information.

Documents on our website are in many formats. The primary file types we use are.

HTML and Images

In general, we use Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). When creating HTML documents, we adhere to Section 508 standards; for example, we include alternate text to describe graphics.

Adobe Acrobat Reader and PDF Files

Our website also features documents in Adobe Portable Document Format ® (PDF). Most PDF files are accessible to those who use assistive technology such as screen readers. Some PDF files created by legacy systems or software may not be accessible. If you are having trouble reading any PDF file, please reach out to us for assistance, and we will send you an alternate version.

For detailed, up-to-date information about Acrobat Reader or the PDF format, visit Adobe Systems Inc.

PowerPoint Files

You can open files in Microsoft PowerPoint® (PPT) format if you have any version of PowerPoint installed on your computer.

Word Files

You can view files in Microsoft Word® (DOC) format if you have Word version 6.0 or higher installed on your computer. Word documents can also be viewed with many other word-processing software programs.

 Learn More About Accessibility

Section 508 is a federal law that mandates agencies to ensure individuals with disabilities have equal access to electronic information and data, comparable to individuals without disabilities, unless doing so would impose an undue burden on the agency. The Section 508 standards outline the technical requirements and criteria used to evaluate compliance with this law. For more information on Section 508 and the associated technical standards, you can visit the following websites:

  • Section508.gov provides Federal employees and the public with access to resources for understanding and implementing the requirements of Section 508, including Section 508 tools, resources, standards, and news.
  • The U.S. Access Board's Section 508 Homepage provides information on Section 508 law, frequently asked questions, and standards.
  • The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) homepage provides strategies, guidelines, and resources to make the Web accessible to people with disabilities.

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