The Importance of Section 508 Accessibility Compliance
Congress changed the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in 1998 so that Federal organizations have to make sure that people with disabilities can use their electronic and information technology. Section 508 accessibility is only needed for Federal agencies, but it should be important for all companies because not having information makes it harder to get and use technology quickly and easily. Section 508 was put into law to get rid of problems with information technology, give people with disabilities more freedom, and support the development of technologies that will help reach these goals. The General Services Administration has been put in charge of educating government workers and building the infrastructure needed to help them comply with Section 508. Section 508 compliance can be checked through the way the government buys things, and there are also specific standards that products can be changed to meet.
Why Section 508 Accessibility Is Important
The web should be open to everyone, just like all public places should be. The US Department of Justice said that the Internet is, in fact, a place where the people can gather. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says that people can't treat people with disabilities badly. The ADA says that all "public accommodations" and the services they offer must be accessible. Even though Section 508 doesn't require private websites to comply unless they receive federal funds or are under contract with a federal agency, not following Section 508 is the same as having services that aren't available to people with disabilities. Companies that get government money or contracts must follow Section 508 because, according to the ADA, not doing so would be against federal law.
The US Department of Health and Human Services says that 10% of the population, or 28,000,000 people, are deaf or hard of hearing, 11,400,000 people have vision problems that can't be fixed with glasses, and 1,100,000 people are legally blind. Businesses shouldn't just follow Section 508 because they may have to, but because it's the right thing to do.
Standards and methods for accessibility in Section 508
Part of the guidelines for accessibility under Section 508:
Videos or other multimedia goods must have closed captioning or video descriptions that can be turned on and off.
Telecommunications Products: People who are deaf or hard of hearing need to be able to use them. This means that hearing aids, TTYs, and other gadgets that make listening easier need to work together.
Internet Information and Applications: Text labels are needed for people who can't see to use refreshable Braille displays and screen readers to view web graphics.
Software applications and operating systems need to be accessible to people who can't see by letting them use the computer in other ways.
As technology changes, so will the guidelines and, as a result, the ways to comply with Section 508. Section 508 standards can be tested in more than one way. Vision Australia and the Paciello Group both have a Web Accessibility Toolbar that you can use. There are things like "Disable CSS," "Toggle Images," and "Contrast Analyzer" on the toolbar. The basic features of ADA compliance websites can also help make sure that Section 508 is followed. Testing web pages with pictures turned off, big fonts, and different color schemes can help you figure out what people with disabilities will see. Make sure the page is easy to get to with just the keyboard. This is another good test to do. Since people with disabilities might not be able to use a mouse, being able to use a keyboard is important for exploring the Internet. Downloading a free screen reader to hear how a website would sound if it was read out loud is a good way to test if the content would make sense.
There are still a lot of businesses that need to make sure they follow Section 508 usability. Even though companies that aren't hired by a federal agency can't be sued for compliance, people with disabilities aren't getting any better because of it. Compliance with Section 508 is very important for the well-being of people with disabilities. As if it wasn't hard enough to live in a world that wasn't made for them, following Section 508 can make it easier for them to use everyday things.