We are committed to making our web pages and supporting electronic documents accessible to the widest possible audience, including individuals with disabilities, in accordance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. 

Section 508 is a federal law that requires agencies to provide individuals with disabilities equal access to electronic information and data comparable to those who do not have disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. Section 508 standards are the technical requirements and criteria that are used to measure conformance with this law. More information on Section 508 and the technical standards can be found at Section508.gov.

We also conform to the World Wide Web Consortium and their industry standards Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1. We endeavor to conform with Level A and AA standards, which means our content is accessible to most people in most circumstances.

We continually modify our website to ensure the information, features, and content are accessible to persons with disabilities. We are making improvements to some areas, including PDFs and table data. While we address these issues, we encourage users to send us feedback or request information in a different format using the process described below.

NOAA Section 508 Program Manager

Allison Soussi-Tanani (allison.soussi-tanani@noaa.gov) can answer questions about NOAA’s implementation of 508 policy or guidelines.

Available Complaint Processes

Send Us Feedback or Request Information In a Different Format

If you experience difficulty accessing any resources or content on this site, please complete our feedback form and include:

• A description of your accessibility problem with any information that will help us replicate the problem, such as browser, assistive technology, or operating system
• The URL of the page the inaccessible content was found on
• Whether you'd like to receive communications regarding your issue
• Contact information for your preferred method of contact (email, phone, or address), if applicable

We will confirm receipt of your inquiry and communicate throughout the process, if desired, as we work to resolve your accessibility issue.

File an Official Complaint

You can file an administrative complaint with the NOAA Office of Inclusion and Civil Rights requesting that existing information and communication technology be reviewed and brought into compliance with the provisions of Section 508.

By Mail

Building SSMC4, Suite 7500 
1305 East-West Highway 
Silver Spring, MD 20910

By Phone, Email, or Fax

Voice: (301) 713-0500 or (800) 452-6728 
Email: noaa.oicr@noaa.gov 
Fax: (301) 713-0983

Reasonable Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations for NOAA employees and job applicants are available through NOAA's Office of Human Capital Services.

Resources and information for NOAA employees

Public information on NOAA’s Reasonable Accommodation

Telecommunications Relay Services

Telecommunications relay services allow people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, or have speech disabilities to communicate by telephone in a manner that is functionally equivalent to telephone services used by people without such disabilities.

Find resources and available services

Organizational Policies on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

NOAA Fisheries is committed to achieving diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility at all levels of the organization.

• NOAA Fisheries Diversity & Inclusion Policy Statement
• NOAA Fisheries Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement
• NOAA Fisheries Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan 2022–2025 (PDF, 18 pages)
• General Services Administration IT Accessibility Laws and Policies

Plug-Ins and File Viewers

Some content on this website may require third-party applications to access. Information related to the most common ones are listed below. These are non-government resources, and NOAA Fisheries does not endorse these products. They're listed only for your convenience. Please direct questions about each application to the respective vendor.

• Adobe Acrobat to read PDF files
• Microsoft offers Doc Viewer and other converter programs to enable those who do not have Microsoft Word to open and view Word files
• Microsoft offers PPTX Viewer to enable those who do not have PowerPoint to view PowerPoint files
• Files with this extension (.zip) require WinZip to open and extract them