section 508 Legislation generally referred to as Section 508 is an amendment of the Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In 1986 this amendment established non-binding guidelines for accessibility of technology.
The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 significantly strengthened Section 508 by creating binding, enforceable standards for accessibility of all electronic and information technology (EIT) resources purchased by the Federal Government.
While these standards are not legally binding to non-federal organizations, they have become the de facto standards used by many organizations, Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and State Governments. Guidelines under NC State's Web Page Accessibility Regulation are also based on Section 508 standards.
The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board ) was designated to develop and publish a set of legal standards commonly known as Section 508 to address accessibility of EIT resources to meet functional limitations of people with physical and sensory disabilities. They cover all methods of electronic information dissemination including computers, software, communication devices, Internet and Intranet content and web-based e-learning.
Section 508 standards focus on the fundamental accessibility of the resource rather than the assistive technology used by an individual who may use the resource.
Accessibility of the EIT resource cannot be addressed through an ad hoc approach. The intent is to design the IT resource so that it can be readily used by all people with disabilities including users of assistive devices like screen readers.
§ 508-1194.21 covers Software Applications and Operating Systems. Access Board provides an excellent tutorial on accessibility of software systems.
§ 508 - 1194.22 covers Web-based Internet and Intranet Information, eLearning Solution and Web Applications consisting of 16 specific items. These standards are based on the checkpoints priority levels 1 and 2 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) developed by W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) .
(a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content).
(b) Equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the presentation.
(c) Web pages shall be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup.
(d) Documents shall be organized so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet.
(e) Redundant text links shall be provided for each active region of a server-side image map.
(f) Client-side image maps shall be provided instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape.
(g) Row and column headers shall be identified for data tables.
(h) Markup shall be used to associate data cells and header cells for data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers.
(i) Frames shall be titled with text that facilitates frame identification and navigation.
(j) Pages shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz.
(k) A text-only page, with equivalent information or functionality, shall be provided to make a web site comply with the provisions of this part, when compliance cannot be accomplished in any other way. The content of the text-only page shall be updated whenever the primary page changes.
(l) When pages utilize scripting languages to display content, or to create interface elements, the information provided by the script shall be identified with functional text that can be read by assistive technology.
(m) When a web page requires that an applet, plug-in or other application be present on the client system to interpret page content, the page must provide a link to a plug-in or applet that complies with §1194.21(a) through (l).
(n) When electronic forms are designed to be completed on-line, the form shall allow people using assistive technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues.
(o) A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links.
(p) When a timed response is required, the user shall be alerted and given sufficient time to indicate more time is required.
§ 508 - 1194.24 covers Video and Multimedia products and includes 3 specific items that address accessibility of multimedia content.
(c) All training and informational video and multimedia productions which support the agency's mission, regardless of format, that contain speech or other audio information necessary for the comprehension of the content, shall be open or closed captioned.
(d) All training and informational video and multimedia productions which support the agency's mission, regardless of format, that contain visual information necessary for the comprehension of the content, shall be audio described.
(e) Display or presentation of alternate text presentation or audio descriptions shall be user-selectable unless permanent.
