The Department of Commerce is committed to providing access to all individuals – with or without disabilities – seeking information on our websites. We've built this website to conform to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended), which requires that all individuals with disabilities (whether federal employees or members of the general public) have access to, and use of, information and data comparable to that provided to individuals without disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on us.

Our Accessibility Standards

To meet this commitment, we design our web pages to meet or exceed the Section 508 accessibility standards, which are the technical requirements that ensure we’re complying with the federal Section 508 law.  This requires us to provide individuals with disabilities access to our information and communication technology (ICT)—including our websites and digital tools and services— that is comparable to those who do not have disabilities unless this would impose an undue burden on us.

We also follow the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and their industry-standard Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at the Level AA standard. This means our content is accessible to most people in most circumstances.

We continually modify our websites to ensure the information, features, and content are accessible to persons with disabilities. Note that this website is best viewed using the latest versions of popular web browsers, as visitors using older browsers may experience some issues.

Our Section 508 Program Manager

Contact our Section 508 Program Office to answer any questions about the Department of Commerce’s implementation of Section 508 policy or guidelines.

Jennifer Jessup – Section 508 Officer 
Dawan Ginn – Section 508 Policy Advisor
Email: [email protected]

How to File an Accessibility-Related Complaint

If you have trouble accessing any resources or content on our websites and/or want to read the Department’s Notice of Rights under the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 and wish to file an official complaint, please visit the Office of Civil Rights webpage or contact us via of these three methods.

Email:
[email protected], Subject Line: Section 508 Complaint 

Phone:
301-763-1508

Mail:   
Office of Civil Rights
1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, RM 6058
Washington, DC 20230
 

Within your complaint, please 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 web address (URL) of the material with which you are having difficulty or specify the location of the issue if the URL cannot be provided.
• The preferred format in which you want to receive any materials.
• Your contact information (email, phone, or address).

Our goal is to eliminate any barriers people with disabilities may encounter in accessing the Department of Commerce’s information or to provide an alternate means of accessing that information. We will work diligently to provide you with accessible content that addresses your needs.

Requesting Reasonable Accommodations

The Reasonable Accommodation Program is committed to facilitating reasonable accommodations for individuals with permanent or temporary disabilities. We offer reasonable accommodations (RA) for federal employees and job applicants, consistent with Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Reasonable Accommodation Manager:

Monique Dismuke
[email protected]
202-482-8201

Public information on our RA Program is available on the Disability Hiring page.

Use of the Telecommunications Relay Service

Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) is a free service that allows people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind or have speech disabilities to communicate with others by telephone in a manner that is functionally equivalent to telephone services used by persons without such disabilities. TRS is available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all other U.S. territories for local, long-distance, and international calls.

Explore the Federal Communication Commission’s full list of TRS services, including specific TRS services and numbers by state and territory.

• List of TRS services
• TRS by State and Territories

Accessibility Services, Aids and Tools

Some content on this website may require the use of a 3rd-party plugin to view. Links to these plugins are listed below. Please note these are non-government sites and we do not endorse these products. They’re listed only for your convenience. Please direct questions about each tool to the respective vendor.

• Download Adobe Reader to view Portable Document Format (PDF) files
• Download Excel Viewer to view Microsoft Excel spreadsheets
• Download PowerPoint Viewer to view Microsoft PowerPoint presentations
• Download Word Viewer to view Microsoft Word documents
• Use ReachDeck to listen to a web page

Where to find additional accessibility tools

If you have any type of disability, we recommend that you visit the FCC Accessibility Clearinghouse and the Access Board website. You'll find expert advice such as alternative screen readers, screen magnifiers, and other devices that can make using a computer easier and more enjoyable.

• FCC Accessibility Clearinghouse
• U.S. Access Board: Additional Resources

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) policy resources

Our Department’s goal is to not only embrace these concepts but ensure they are fully integrated into the agency's business practices and, more importantly, its organizational culture.

• FY 2024 - FY 2026 Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Employment Policy Statement 
• How to File a Complaint
• Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EEODI)
• Reasonable Accommodation for Employees or Applicants with Disabilities - DAO 215-10
• Section 508.gov: IT Accessibility Laws and Policies

Page Last Reviewed/Updated May 13, 2024