Section 508 Resources
Section 508 is an Amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 508 requires Federal Agencies to enable their electronic and information technology so that it is accessible to those with disabilities. In regards to web accessibility, this means that users who may not be able to hear audio files or see images on the web, should be provided with alternate content that can be interpreted by their browsers/screen readers. A website must be specifically coded so that it is Section 508 compliant. Below is a list of some online Section 508 resources.
Section 508 Guidelines
- http://www.section508.gov/ This government website can be used to access resources for understanding and implementing the requirements of Section 508.
- http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/standards.htm The US Access Board website
- http://www.w3.org/WAI/Policy/#usa508 Policies relating to Section 508
- http://www.hhs.gov/web/508/index.html US Dept of Health and Human Services site, Section 508 General Information page
- http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/508/508home.php US Dept of Justice Section 508 HomePage
- http://www.usability.gov/ Includes Section 508 information
- http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=3&TopicID=135&DocumentID=298 American Foundation for the Blind Memo regarding Section 508
- http://www.jimthatcher.com/webcourse1.htm Jim Thatcher’s website which includes a great Section 508 web accessibility online tutorial. Jim is a section 508 web accessibility expert and co-author of Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance.
Section 508 Developer Links
- http://webdesign.about.com/od/accessibility/Web_Accessibility_Web_Usability.htm A list of helpful links to assist developers in making accessible web pages.
- http://www.vischeck.com/vischeck/vischeckURL.php A tool to help you see how a webpage appears to colorblind end users. Also available as a Photoshop plug-in.
- Additional color contrast checkers and background "theory" can be found on this post on 456 Berea St.
- http://www.webaim.org/standards/508/checklist A Section 508 checklist
- http://www.totalvalidator.com/ A validator for 508/WCAG
- http://wave.webaim.org/ WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool
- http://www.standards-schmandards.com/projects/fangs/ Fangs is a screen reader emulator add-on for Firefox
- http://www.paciellogroup.com/resources/wat-ie-about.html Web Accessibility Toolbar for IE
- http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/products/flash/faq.html Adobe Flash accessibility FAQ
