What is Section 508?
In 1998, Congress amended the
Rehabilitation Act
to require Federal agencies to make their
electronic and information technology
accessible to people with disabilities. Inaccessible technology interferes with an individual's ability to obtain and use information quickly and easily.
Section 508
was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development
of technologies that will help achieve these goals. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and
information technology. Under Section 508 (29 U.S.C. • 794d), agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information that
is comparable to the access available to others.
What does Section 508 do?
Section 508 establishes requirements for electronic and information technology developed, maintained, procured, or used by the Federal government. Section
508 requires Federal electronic and information technology to be accessible to people with disabilities, including employees and members of the public.
An accessible information technology system is one that can be operated in a variety of ways and does not rely on a single sense or ability of the user.
For example, a system that provides output only in visual format may not be accessible to people with visual impairments and a system that provides output
only in audio format may not be accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Some individuals with disabilities may need accessibility-related
software or peripheral devices in order to use systems that comply with Section 508.
The final Section 508 standards are available online at the U.S. Access Board Web site
http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/overview.htm
and the text of the standards themselves at
http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/508standards.htm
What is Accessibility?
"Web accessibility" in its broadest sense means that anyone using any kind of Web browsing technology is able to visit any site and get a full and complete
understanding of the information. It also means having the ability to interact with the site - if that is necessary. A realistic and practical objective
is to make your Web site accessible to as many people as possible.
Take a 'walk' around your Web site. But first, put the mouse away. Can you navigate the site without it? Some people can't use a mouse. People with limited
or no physical mobility use a keyboard or voice input. People who are blind or visually impaired use a keyboard or voice input in combination with a text
screen reader.
Access your site with your browser's graphics turned off. Is your site still effective and informative? Many outside visitors turn graphics off because
they have slow modems. Other users turn off graphics because they are interested in content not presentation.
Web sites that can't be navigated without a mouse, or are useless without the graphics or don't have enough information in text format will lock some people
out.
Web designers and graphic artists often fear that making a Web site accessible will stifle its artistic presentation or professional look. The design and
presentation need not suffer. First create the site with text-only pages making sure that the content is complete and accessible. Then add images and other
design touches using HTML accessibility features (e.g., use the alt attribute with the image tag). Your site will be accessible to almost everyone.
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