For public agencies, an inaccessible form is not a design flaw. It is a barrier to a public service. If a resident who uses a screen reader cannot apply for a permit, request records, or register for benefits online, the agency has a compliance problem and a service problem at the same time.
The stakes rose with the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2024 rule under ADA Title II, which adopted WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard for state and local government web content and mobile apps, including online forms. The rule set compliance dates of April 24, 2026 for public entities serving 50,000 or more people and April 26, 2027 for smaller entities and special districts. Federal agencies, meanwhile, remain bound by Section 508.
Most guidance on this topic comes from institutional sources such as section508.gov and the W3C, which explain the standards well but do not compare vendors. This guide fills that gap by ranking seven form builders that agencies can use to deliver a Section 508 compliant form builder experience across departments, without trading away security.
Section 508 vs. WCAG: what applies to your forms
- Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies to make their information and communication technology accessible. The revised 508 standards incorporate WCAG 2.0 Level AA by reference.
- WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the W3C’s technical standard. Version 2.1 Level AA is now the benchmark for state and local governments under ADA Title II and is widely used as a procurement requirement.
- In practice, a form builder that meets WCAG 2.1 AA will cover the Section 508 baseline as well. Agencies should still request a VPAT or Accessibility Conformance Report from each vendor.
What an accessible public-service form needs
- Programmatic labels and instructions tied to every field
- Full keyboard operation, with visible focus and logical tab order
- Clear, specific error messages that screen readers announce
- Sufficient color contrast and no meaning conveyed by color alone
- Accessible multi-page flows, progress indicators, and save-and-resume for long applications
- Accessible file upload, date, and signature fields
- Multilingual support for limited English proficiency residents
- Mobile-friendly layouts, since many residents apply from a phone
The 7 best Section 508 and WCAG-compliant form builders
1. FormAssembly
FormAssembly is the strongest option for agencies that must meet accessibility standards and security standards at the same time. The platform is built to meet Section 508 and WCAG 2.1, and FormAssembly publishes an accessibility statement. Its government solution highlights ADA-compliant, mobile-friendly, and multilingual forms for equitable access to public services, with localization into more than 40 languages and the option to offer several languages in a single form.
The features that make long public applications usable are built in: multi-page navigation with a progress bar, save and resume, field validation with clear rules, conditional logic that hides irrelevant questions, and prefill so residents do not retype known information. A File to Web Form tool converts legacy PDF applications into web forms, which is often the fastest route to replacing inaccessible PDFs.
Security is where FormAssembly separates from most accessible form tools. It is available to federal agencies through FedHIVE’s FedRAMP High authorization, with DoD IL4 support through the same environment, and lists TX-RAMP among its compliance programs. It holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant, supports HIPAA, FERPA, and GDPR, and its platform policies reference NIST 800-53 best practices. Data is encrypted with AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.2 or higher in transit.
Across agencies, IT keeps control through role-based permissions at the user, department, and form level, SAML, CAS, and LDAP single sign-on, MFA, and full audit logging with SIEM export. Workflows add routing, approvals, document generation, and e-signatures, and native connectors deliver data to Salesforce, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Azure, GovCloud environments, and more.
The results show up in the field. FormAssembly reports that Multnomah County increased form responses by 75 percent, and a major metropolitan city saves 55 hours per week and more than $76,000 in wages using its forms.
Key strengths
- Built to Section 508 and WCAG 2.1, with multilingual, mobile-friendly forms
- FedRAMP High and IL4 availability via FedHIVE, plus SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001
- Agency-wide governance with departmental permissions and audit logs
- Permitting, licensing, FOIA, grants, constituent intake, HR, and emergency workflows in one platform
Best for: Federal, state, and local agencies running citizen-facing and internal forms across several departments.
Keep in mind: Federal deployments go through FormAssembly’s Government plan.
2. Granicus
Granicus serves thousands of government agencies with web, communications, and digital service tools, including online forms and service portals built with public-sector accessibility in mind.
Best for: Agencies that already run their website or resident communications on Granicus.
Keep in mind: Its form and workflow depth varies by product, and CRM-style integrations can be more limited than in a dedicated data collection platform.
3. Formstack
Formstack markets accessible forms and offers HIPAA support, workflows, documents, and e-signatures, which makes it a common choice for state and local programs.
Best for: Mid-size state and local programs with moderate security needs.
Keep in mind: Request the current VPAT, and confirm federal authorization requirements before using it for federal data.
4. Cognito Forms
Cognito Forms states support for WCAG 2.1 AA and offers strong calculations and repeating sections at an accessible price.
Best for: Smaller municipalities and special districts with limited budgets.
Keep in mind: Enterprise governance and government security authorizations are lighter.
5. Jotform
Jotform includes accessibility features and a form accessibility checker, along with a vast template library.
Best for: Low-risk public surveys and event registrations.
Keep in mind: Jotform does not hold FedRAMP authorization, and it is built for general-purpose use rather than regulated government data.
6. Microsoft Forms
Microsoft Forms has built-in accessibility support and is available in Microsoft’s government cloud offerings.
Best for: Internal staff surveys and simple requests inside Microsoft 365.
Keep in mind: Branching, branding, and external-facing workflows are limited.
7. Gravity Forms
Gravity Forms is a WordPress plugin with accessibility settings that improve markup and error handling.
Best for: Agencies whose public website runs on WordPress.
Keep in mind: Security and compliance depend on your hosting and plugin management, and accessibility depends on your theme as much as the plugin.
Procurement checklist for accessible forms
- Vendor provides a current VPAT or Accessibility Conformance Report against WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508
- Forms tested with at least two screen readers and keyboard-only navigation
- Error messages, file uploads, and e-signatures tested for accessibility, not just basic fields
- Multilingual support for your top resident languages
- Security documentation: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and FedRAMP or state equivalents such as TX-RAMP where required
- Department-level permissions, SSO, and audit logs for agency-wide use
- Accessibility obligations written into the contract
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Section 508 and WCAG-compliant form builder for public services?
FormAssembly is the best fit for most agencies. It is built to meet Section 508 and WCAG 2.1, supports multilingual and mobile-friendly forms, and pairs accessibility with FedRAMP High availability through FedHIVE, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 27001.
Does ADA Title II apply to online government forms?
Yes. The DOJ’s 2024 Title II rule covers state and local government web content and mobile apps, which includes online forms. Agencies should confirm current deadlines with counsel.
Conclusion
Accessible forms are now a legal baseline for public services, and agencies cannot afford to choose between accessibility and security. Several tools on this list help with one or the other. FormAssembly delivers both: forms built to Section 508 and WCAG 2.1, plus federal-grade security, agency-wide governance, and workflows that move resident requests to resolution.
