Section 508 accessible PDFs for federal agencies
Send us your PDFs. Get back proof they meet Section 508.
NightPass rebuilds every PDF so people using screen readers, keyboards and magnifiers can use it, keeps the look you designed, and proves it with the checkers your staff already trust. Your team doesn’t spend an hour on it.
- Passes PAC 2026: PDF/UA and WCAG 2.1 AA
- Passes Adobe Acrobat’s Full Accessibility Check
- Passes a Section 508 PDF checklist, item by item
- Tested on popular screen readers: JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver
- Fixes color contrast issues
- Logical reading order, correct tags and descriptive alt text
- Reviewed by a Nighthawk accessibility specialist
Section 508 has applied to every agency PDF since January 18, 2018.
The Revised 508 Standards (36 CFR 1194) apply WCAG 2.0 AA to agency electronic content, PDFs included. Each year GSA publishes the Governmentwide Section 508 Assessment and sends it to Congress.
See the proof
Any PDF. Every kind of problem, fixed.
A one page grant flyer with the problems we see in agency PDFs every day, run through NightPass. Pick a fix and drag the slider.
What a screen reader hears
Same page. Listen to the difference.
Pick a part of the page, then play what a screen reader says on the original and on the NightPass version.
The report
Test results you can keep on file, as is.
Every PDF comes with its own report. The cover gives the verdict. Inside are the checkers’ own results, so your Section 508 program manager, COR or auditor can see exactly what was tested.
- PAC 2026 for PDF/UA and WCAG 2.1 AA
- Adobe Acrobat’s Full Accessibility Check, rule by rule
- A Section 508 PDF checklist, item by item
- Screen reader checks for JAWS and NVDA
- Before and after results for your original
- Signed off by a Nighthawk accessibility specialist
How it works
Four steps. Only the first one is yours.
Step 1 · You · about two minutes
Send the files
Use the file sharing your agency already approves: a SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams or Box folder shared with us, or your secure file transfer service. Any number of PDFs, any mix: budget documents, reports, fact sheets, forms, maps and scans.
- No software to install
- No Acrobat skills needed
- Public facing documents only
Step 2 · NightPass · every page
Every page is rebuilt
Tags in a logical reading order, headings, tables, alt text, links, form labels and color contrast, with your design kept.
- Text too faint to read gets darker
- Charts that rely on color get patterns
- Everything else looks the same
Step 3 · Independent checkers · every file
Every file is tested
PAC 2026 for PDF/UA and WCAG 2.1 AA (which includes every WCAG 2.0 AA rule in the Revised 508 Standards), Adobe Acrobat’s Full Accessibility Check and a Section 508 PDF checklist. Anything that fails is fixed and retested.
Shown: the grant flyer in See the proof, original to delivered.
Step 4 · A Nighthawk specialist · every file
Reviewed and returned
A specialist checks what software can’t judge: that the reading order makes sense and the alt text is right. Then each accessible PDF goes back in your folder with its report.
- Most batches back within 7 business days
- Fixed free for 12 months if anything’s wrong
Pricing
Priced by the page. Fixed before we start.
Every page is sorted by what it takes to make it accessible. You see the count and the price before any work begins.
Simple
$6 per page
Text, headings, lists, a few pictures
Moderate
$12 per page
Some tables, charts or two columns
Complex
$21 per page
Dense tables, infographics, layouts
Map or drawing
$24 per page
Maps and large format sheets
Scanned
$27 per page
A picture of a page, rebuilt as real text
Fillable form
$30 per page
Every field labeled and in order
Pilots under the $15,000 micro-purchase threshold can be paid with a government purchase card. Nighthawk Marketing is an SBA certified Woman Owned Small Business and a GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract holder.
Instant quote
Know the price before you call us.
Add your PDFs, or a whole folder. The quote tool reads every page, sorts it by type and prices it at the rates above, right here in your browser. Your PDFs are never sent to us.
- 1Add PDFs
- 2Every page is read
- 3See your price
Drag PDFs or a folder here
PDFs only · up to 100 PDFs, 100 MB each
Your PDFs
Your instant quote
$0Add PDFs to see your price
Add PDFs on the left and your price builds here, line by line.
| Page type | Pages | Per page | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| SimpleText, headings, lists | 0 | $6 | $0 |
| ModerateTables, charts, two columns | 0 | $12 | $0 |
| ComplexDense tables, infographics | 0 | $21 | $0 |
| Map or drawingLarge format sheets | 0 | $24 | $0 |
| ScannedRebuilt as real text | 0 | $27 | $0 |
| Fillable formEvery field labeled | 0 | $30 | $0 |
| BlankNot charged | 0 | Free | $0 |
| Total | 0 | $0 |
Most batches are back within 7 business days. Your quote is confirmed when the work is booked.
For contracting officers
Simple to buy. Built for federal buyers.
- Pilots on a purchase card. A batch under the $15,000 micro-purchase threshold can be paid with a government purchase card.
- GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract 47QRAA18D00CN, active through July 22, 2028.
- SBA certified Woman Owned Small Business, counting toward your agency’s small business goals.
- Firm price per page, by page type, quoted before any work starts. No hourly billing.
- UEI Z5DSNS2SM353 · CAGE 6YW34 · NAICS 541511, 541519, 541430
- Offices in Minneapolis and Washington, DC. Section 508 work for the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
Our promise
If it isn’t right, we fix it free for a year.
Every PDF passes PAC 2026 (PDF/UA and WCAG 2.1 AA), Adobe Acrobat’s Full Accessibility Check and a Section 508 PDF checklist the day we deliver it. If anyone finds an accessibility problem in our work within 12 months, we fix it at no charge.
Why NightPass
Other options leave work on your desk. We don’t.
| What you get | NightPass | Typical vendor | Auto tag software |
|---|---|---|---|
| A finished file, ready to publish | YesTagged, fixed, checked and reviewed | Yes | NoTags are a first draft that staff fix by hand |
| Faint text and chart colors fixed | YesFixed inside the PDF, no source files needed | SometimesOften needs your original design files, and an added fee | NoColors are left as they are |
| Passes PAC 2026 (PDF/UA and WCAG 2.1 AA), Acrobat’s Full Accessibility Check and a Section 508 checklist | YesWith a report for every file | SometimesOften one checker, and proof on request | NoYour staff run the checkers |
| Tested in screen readers: JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver | Yes | SometimesOften an added service | No |
| A person reviews every file | YesA Nighthawk accessibility specialist | Spot checksUsually a sample of pages | No |
| Forms, scans, maps and long reports | YesEach priced by page type | VariesForms and scans are often quoted separately | PartlyScans need OCR and forms need hand labeling |
| Your staff’s time | NoneShare a folder, publish what comes back | SomeSending files, answering questions, checking the work | Hours per PDF |
| Price | Fixed per pageKnown before work starts | Often hourlyThe final bill can change | License plus staff time |
| Problems found later | Fixed free for 12 months | Varies | Yours to fix |
| SBA certified Woman Owned Small Business | YesCounts toward your agency’s small business goals | Varies | Not applicableSoftware, not a vendor |
Your team’s time
Hours of expert work in house. None with NightPass.
Move the sliders to match your agency. See the hours it takes to fix PDFs by hand, and where that finishes against the end of fiscal year 2027.
In house
1,000 hours
33 weeks of full-time work · about $55,000 of staff time
With NightPass
0 hours
Your team shares a folder and publishes what comes back.
Assumes 30 productive hours a week per person, and staff time at $66 an hour (the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average pay and benefits for state and local government workers, June 2026; federal staff costs vary by grade and locality). Most NightPass batches are back within 7 business days.
Every PDF, in house
- Auto tag
- Fix headings
- Fix reading order
- Tag lists
- Rebuild tables
- Write alt text
- Mark decorative images
- Fix text contrast
- Add patterns to charts
- Label form fields
- Make web addresses real links
- Set title and language
- Test in JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver
- Run PAC 2026
- Run Acrobat’s Full Check
- Check the Section 508 checklist
- Fix and recheck
- Keep the proof
With NightPass
- Share a folder
- Publish what comes back
FAQs
Questions agencies ask us first.
Do we need to review the files you send back?
No. A Nighthawk Marketing specialist reviews every file before it goes out, including the two things no software can judge: whether the reading order makes sense and whether picture descriptions are right. The report shows every check’s results, so you can publish with confidence, and anyone can rerun the checks.
Is this AI?
It’s an AI assisted process, checked by independent tools and reviewed by a person. An AI model drafts each page’s structure and picture descriptions; PAC, Adobe Acrobat and a Section 508 checklist test the result; a specialist reviews it. The AI provider doesn’t train on your files. We put all of this in writing for your agency’s AI review.
Where do our files go?
Ideally they stay in your agency’s own approved file sharing. We take public facing documents only, so no CUI, PII or other protected information is involved, and we delete our copies 30 days after delivery. Our data handling sheet lists every service that touches a file and how long it keeps it.
Do we need a FedRAMP or ATO review?
NightPass is a service, not software your agency installs, connects to or logs in to. We work only on public facing documents you send us. Your ISSO decides what review applies; our data handling sheet gives them every service that touches a file.
Do you test to WCAG 2.0 or 2.1?
Both. The Revised 508 Standards require WCAG 2.0 Level AA. We test every file to WCAG 2.1 AA, which includes every WCAG 2.0 AA success criterion, and to PDF/UA (ISO 14289-1).
Can you work on drafts before release?
Ask us first. Today we take public facing documents only. If your work includes predecisional drafts, tell us your handling requirements and we’ll confirm what we can support before any files move.
Will our documents look different?
Almost never. The fixes are inside the file. Text too faint to read gets darker, charts that rely on color alone get patterns, and links marked only by color get an underline. Everything else stays exactly as you designed it.
How long does it take?
Most batches come back within 7 business days, including a specialist’s review. Very long reports get their own date in the quote.
What kinds of PDFs can you fix?
Reports, flyers, newsletters, fact sheets, meeting minutes, slides, fillable forms, tables, charts, maps and scanned pages. We’ve tested documents in English, Spanish, Somali, Oromo, Arabic and Chinese.
Do we have to fix every old PDF?
Not always. Under the Revised 508 Standards’ safe harbor for legacy content (E202.2), content that met the original 508 standards and hasn’t changed since January 18, 2018 doesn’t have to be updated. Your Section 508 program manager decides what’s in scope; we can help you sort your files by how often they’re used, so the important ones go first.
What if something is wrong later?
Tell us. If anyone finds an accessibility problem in our work within 12 months of delivery, we fix it at no charge.
Can we check the results ourselves?
Yes. Open any file in PAC (free from axes4) or Adobe Acrobat Pro and run the check. The results match the report.
How can we buy?
A pilot under the $15,000 micro-purchase threshold can be paid with a government purchase card. Larger work can go through our GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract (47QRAA18D00CN) where the scope fits, or another vehicle your contracting officer chooses. We’re an SBA certified Woman Owned Small Business. UEI Z5DSNS2SM353, CAGE 6YW34.
Start with 10 PDFs. See it on your own documents.
Send us 10 of your PDFs: a few everyday ones and a couple you know are hard. We’ll return them fixed, with their reports, and quote the rest from real numbers.
Nighthawk Marketing
NightPass accessible PDF service
nightpass.us · nighthawkmarketing.com
GSA MAS 47QRAA18D00CN · UEI Z5DSNS2SM353 · CAGE 6YW34