Last Updated on September 19, 2026 by Craig Allen Keefner
The Kiosk Industry website summarized the U.S. Access Board's March 2021 webinar on ADA Kiosk Access, detailing key provisions from Chapter 4 Hardware of the Revised 508 requirements. This webinar focused on accessibility standards for kiosks, outlining provisions 402 through 415, which address aspects like closed functionality, speech-output enabled features, operable parts, and status indicators. These discussions provide best practices for federal Section 508 implementation, ensuring kiosks are fully accessible, particularly for individuals with vision impairments.
What was covered in the ADA Kiosk Access Webinar, including Storm AudioNav?
The U.S. Access Board conducted a recent webinar with the focus being kiosks. Below are some of the more interesting areas.
This webinar is part of a series showcasing “Best Practices in Federal Section 508 Implementation.” Other presentations can be viewed at:
- www.adaconferences.org and
- www.fedlink.org/allqual/resource-shared-webinars.cfm
A best practice is a policy, process, procedure or technique proven effective over time and repeatable by multiple agencies.
A best practice is generalized so that diverse agencies may use it in their own organizations but specific enough to provide useful guidance and instruction.
The CIO Council’s Accessibility Community of Practice has published a library of 508 Best Practices at www.Section508.gov.
What is the topic of the upcoming webinar on Section 508 Compliance and Assistive Technology?
Section 508 Compliance and Assistive Technology: Providing Accessibility to ICT for Federal Employees under the Rehabilitation Act (Sections 504 and 508)
Chapter 4 Hardware, provisions 402 to 409
402 Closed Functionality
403 Biometrics
404 Preservation of Information Provided for Accessibility
405 Privacy
406 Standard Connections
407 Operable Parts
408 Display Screens
409 Status Indicators
Chapter 4 Hardware, provisions 410 to 415
410 Color Coding
411 Audible Signals
412 ICT with Two-Way Voice Communication
413 Closed Caption Processing Technologies
414 Audio Description Processing Technologies
415 User Controls for Captions and Audio Descriptions
What are the accessibility requirements for AR, VR, and XR?
W3C XR Accessibility User Requirements (draft, Sept. 2020)
www.w3.org/tr/xaur
W3C WebXR Standards and Accessibility Architecture Issues
www.w3.org/WAI/APA/wiki/WebXR_Standards_and_Accessibility_Architecture_Issues
XRA Developer’s Guide, Chapter Three: Accessibility & Inclusive Design in Immersive Experiences
xra.org/research/xra-developers-guide-accessibility-and-inclusive-design/
What are the Revised 508 requirements for Closed Functionality in kiosks?
Original 508 Standards(2000): “Self-Contained Closed Products”
- For a kiosk, Chapter 4: Hardware would be the applicable Revised 508 requirement
- Most of these requirements existed under Original 508 Standards
- There aren’t specific requirements how the touchscreen operates per se
- Functionality is addressed:
- 402 Closed Functionality
- 402.2 Speech-Output Enabled
- ICT with a display screen shall be speech-output enabled for full and independent use by individuals with vision impairments.
- 407 Operable Parts
- Contrast, Input Controls (include Tactilely Discernible), (single hand) Operation, Reach Height
- 409 Status Indicators – “shall be discernible visually and by touch or sound.”
- 402 Closed Functionality
402.2 Speech-Output Enabled Exceptions
- Variable message signs conforming to 402.5 shall not be required to be speech-output enabled.
- Speech output shall not be required where ICT display screens only provide status indicators and those indicators conform to 409.
- Where speech output cannot be supported due to constraints in available memory or processor capability, ICT shall be permitted to conform to 409 in lieu of 402.2.
- Audible tones shall be permitted instead of speech output where the content of user input is not displayed as entered for security purposes, including, but not limited to, asterisks representing personal identification numbers.
- Speech output shall not be required for: the machine location; date and time of transaction; customer account number; and the machine identifier or label.
- Speech output shall not be required for advertisements and other similar information unless they convey information that can be used for the transaction being conducted.
What are the key requirements for 402.2 Speech-Output Enabled ICT?
- ICT with a display screen shall be speech-output enabled for full and independent use by individuals with vision impairments.
- Speech output shall be provided for all information displayed on-screen. (402.2.1)
- Where transactional outputs are provided, the speech output shall audibly provide all information necessary to verify a transaction. (402.2.2)
- Speech output shall be coordinated with information displayed on the screen. (402.2.3)
Self-Service Kiosks and Hardware (2)
- For a kiosk, Chapter 4: Hardware would be the applicable Revised 508 requirement
- most of these requirements existed under original 508
- There aren’t specific requirements how the touchscreen operate per se
- Functionality is addressed:
- 402 Closed Functionality: 402.2 Speech-Output Enabled. ICT with a display screen shall be speech-output enabled for full and independent use by individuals with vision impairments.
- 407 Operable Parts
- Functionality is addressed:
- The kiosk must conform with 508 requirements
- Providing an officer because the kiosk is not conformant would be accommodation and would not affect (or improve) the 508 conformance level of the kiosk
