| PART 1194--ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS-- | ||
| Table of Contents | ||
| Subpart A--General | ||
| Sec. 1194.1 Purpose. | ||
| Sec. 1194.2 Application. | ||
| Sec. 1194.3 General exceptions. | ||
| Sec. 1194.4 Definitions. | ||
| Sec. 1194.5 Equivalent facilitation. | ||
| Subpart B--Technical Standards | ||
| Sec. 1194.21 Software applications and operating systems. | ||
| Sec. 1194.22 Web-based intranet and internet information and applications. | ||
| Sec. 1194.23 Telecommunications products. | ||
| Sec. 1194.24 Video and multimedia products. | ||
| Sec. 1194.25 Self contained, closed products. | ||
| Sec. 1194.26 Desktop and portable computers. | ||
| Sec. 1194.31 Functional performance criteria. | ||
| Sec. 1194.41 Information, documentation, and support. | ||
| Subpart A--General |
| Sec. 1194.1 Purpose. |
| The purpose of this part is to implement section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794d). Section 508 requires that when Federal agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology, Federal employees with disabilities have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use by Federal employees who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. Section 508 also requires that individuals with disabilities, who are members of the public seeking information or services from a Federal agency, have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to that provided to the public who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. |
| Sec. 1194.2 Application. |
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(a) Products covered by this part shall comply with all applicable
provisions of this part. When developing, procuring, maintaining, or
using electronic and information technology, each agency shall ensure
that the products comply with the applicable provisions of this part,
unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency.
(1) When compliance with the provisions of this part imposes an undue burden, agencies shall provide individuals with disabilities with the information and data involved by an alternative means of access that allows the individual to use the information and data. (2) When procuring a product, if an agency determines that compliance with any provision of this part imposes an undue burden, the documentation by the agency supporting the procurement shall explain why, and to what extent, compliance with each such provision creates an undue burden. (b) When procuring a product, each agency shall procure products which comply with the provisions in this part when such products are available in the commercial marketplace or when such products are developed in response to a Government solicitation. Agencies cannot claim a product as a whole is not commercially available because no product in the marketplace meets all the standards. If products are commercially available that meet some but not all of the standards, the agency must procure the product that best meets the standards. (c) Except as provided by Sec. 1194.3(b), this part applies to electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by agencies directly or used by a contractor under a contract with an agency which requires the use of such product, or requires the use, to a significant extent, of such product in the performance of a service or the furnishing of a product. |
| Sec. 1194.3 General exceptions. |
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(a) This part does not apply to any electronic and information
technology operated by agencies, the function, operation, or use of
which involves intelligence activities, cryptologic activities related
to national security, command and control of military forces, equipment
that is an integral part of a weapon or weapons system, or systems which
are critical to the direct fulfillment of military or intelligence
missions. Systems which are critical to the direct fulfillment of
military or intelligence missions do not include a system that is to be
used for routine administrative and business applications (including
payroll, finance, logistics, and personnel management applications).
(b) This part does not apply to electronic and information technology that is acquired by a contractor incidental to a contract. (c) Except as required to comply with the provisions in this part, this part does not require the installation of specific accessibility- related software or the attachment of an assistive technology device at a workstation of a Federal employee who is not an individual with a disability. (d) When agencies provide access to the public to information or data through electronic and information technology, agencies are not required to make products owned by the agency available for access and use by individuals with disabilities at a location other than that where the electronic and information technology is provided to the public, or to purchase products for access and use by individuals with disabilities at a location other than that where the electronic and information technology is provided to the public. (e) This part shall not be construed to require a fundamental alteration in the nature of a product or its components. (f) Products located in spaces frequented only by service personnel for maintenance, repair, or occasional monitoring of equipment are not required to comply with this part. |
| Sec. 1194.4 Definitions. |
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The following definitions apply to this part:
Agency. Any Federal department or agency, including the United
States Postal Service.
Alternate formats. Alternate formats usable by people with disabilities may include, but are not limited to, Braille, ASCII text, large print, recorded audio, and electronic formats that comply with this part. Alternate methods. Different means of providing information, including product documentation, to people with disabilities. Alternate methods may include, but are not limited to, voice, fax, relay service, TTY, Internet posting, captioning, text-to-speech synthesis, and audio description. Assistive technology. Any item, piece of equipment, or system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is commonly used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Electronic and information technology. Includes information technology and any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment, that is used in the creation, conversion, or duplication of data or information. The term electronic and information technology includes, but is not limited to, telecommunications products (such as telephones), information kiosks and transaction machines, World Wide Web sites, multimedia, and office equipment such as copiers and fax machines. The term does not include any equipment that contains embedded information technology that is used as an integral part of the product, but the principal function of which is not the acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. For example, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) equipment such as thermostats or temperature control devices, and medical equipment where information technology is integral to its operation, are not information technology. Information technology. Any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment, that is used in the automatic acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. The term information technology includes computers, ancillary equipment, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including support services), and related resources. Operable controls. A component of a product that requires physical contact for normal operation. Operable controls include, but are not limited to, mechanically operated controls, input and output trays, card slots, keyboards, or keypads. Product. Electronic and information technology. Self Contained, Closed Products. Products that generally have embedded software and are commonly designed in such a fashion that a user cannot easily attach or install assistive technology. These products include, but are not limited to, information kiosks and information transaction machines, copiers, printers, calculators, fax machines, and other similar types of products. Telecommunications. The transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user's choosing, without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received. TTY. An abbreviation for teletypewriter. Machinery or equipment that employs interactive text based communications through the transmission of coded signals across the telephone network. TTYs may include, for example, devices known as TDDs (telecommunication display devices or telecommunication devices for deaf persons) or computers with special modems. TTYs are also called text telephones. Undue burden. Undue burden means significant difficulty or expense. In determining whether an action would result in an undue burden, an agency shall consider all agency resources available to the program or component for which the product is being developed, procured, maintained, or used. |
| Sec. 1194.5 Equivalent facilitation. |
| Nothing in this part is intended to prevent the use of designs or technologies as alternatives to those prescribed in this part provided they result in substantially equivalent or greater access to and use of a product for people with disabilities. |
| Subpart B--Technical Standards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sec. 1194.21 Software applications and operating systems. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(a) When software is designed to run on a system that has a
keyboard, product functions shall be executable from a keyboard where
the function itself or the result of performing a function can be
discerned textually.
(b) Applications shall not disrupt or disable activated features of other products that are identified as accessibility features, where those features are developed and documented according to industry standards. Applications also shall not disrupt or disable activated features of any operating system that are identified as accessibility features where the application programming interface for those accessibility features has been documented by the manufacturer of the operating system and is available to the product developer. (c) A well-defined on-screen indication of the current focus shall be provided that moves among interactive interface elements as the input focus changes. The focus shall be programmatically exposed so that assistive technology can track focus and focus changes. (d) Sufficient information about a user interface element including the identity, operation and state of the element shall be available to assistive technology. When an image represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must also be available in text. (e) When bitmap images are used to identify controls, status indicators, or other programmatic elements, the meaning assigned to those images shall be consistent throughout an application's performance. (f) Textual information shall be provided through operating system functions for displaying text. The minimum information that shall be made available is text content, text input caret location, and text attributes. (g) Applications shall not override user selected contrast and color selections and other individual display attributes. (h) When animation is displayed, the information shall be displayable in at least one non-animated presentation mode at the option of the user. (i) Color coding shall not be used as the only means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. (j) When a product permits a user to adjust color and contrast settings, a variety of color selections capable of producing a range of contrast levels shall be provided. (k) Software shall not use flashing or blinking text, objects, or other elements having a flash or blink frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. (l) When electronic forms are used, 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. |
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| Sec. 1194.22 Web-based intranet and internet information and applications. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(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 Sec. 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. Note to Sec. 1194.22: 1. The Board interprets paragraphs (a) through (k) of this section as consistent with the following priority 1 Checkpoints of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG 1.0) (May 5, 1999) published by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium:
2. Paragraphs (l), (m), (n), (o), and (p) of this section are different from WCAG 1.0. Web pages that conform to WCAG 1.0, level A (i.e., all priority 1 checkpoints) must also meet paragraphs (l), (m), (n), (o), and (p) of this section to comply with this section. WCAG 1.0 is available at http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WAI-WEBCONTENT-19990505. |
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| Sec. 1194.23 Telecommunications products. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(a) Telecommunications products or systems which provide a function
allowing voice communication and which do not themselves provide a TTY
functionality shall provide a standard non-acoustic connection point for
TTYs. Microphones shall be capable of being turned on and off to allow
the user to intermix speech with TTY use.
(b) Telecommunications products which include voice communication functionality shall support all commonly used cross-manufacturer non- proprietary standard TTY signal protocols. (c) Voice mail, auto-attendant, and interactive voice response telecommunications systems shall be usable by TTY users with their TTYs. (d) Voice mail, messaging, auto-attendant, and interactive voice response telecommunications systems that require a response from a user within a time interval, shall give an alert when the time interval is about to run out, and shall provide sufficient time for the user to indicate more time is required. (e) Where provided, caller identification and similar telecommunications functions shall also be available for users of TTYs, and for users who cannot see displays. (f) For transmitted voice signals, telecommunications products shall provide a gain adjustable up to a minimum of 20 dB. For incremental volume control, at least one intermediate step of 12 dB of gain shall be provided. (g) If the telecommunications product allows a user to adjust the receive volume, a function shall be provided to automatically reset the volume to the default level after every use. (h) Where a telecommunications product delivers output by an audio transducer which is normally held up to the ear, a means for effective magnetic wireless coupling to hearing technologies shall be provided. (i) Interference to hearing technologies (including hearing aids, cochlear implants, and assistive listening devices) shall be reduced to the lowest possible level that allows a user of hearing technologies to utilize the telecommunications product. (j) Products that transmit or conduct information or communication, shall pass through cross-manufacturer, non-proprietary, industry- standard codes, translation protocols, formats or other information necessary to provide the information or communication in a usable format. Technologies which use encoding, signal compression, format transformation, or similar techniques shall not remove information needed for access or shall restore it upon delivery. (k) Products which have mechanically operated controls or keys, shall comply with the following: (1) Controls and keys shall be tactilely discernible without activating the controls or keys. (2) Controls and keys shall be operable with one hand and shall not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist. The force required to activate controls and keys shall be 5 lbs. (22.2 N) maximum. (3) If key repeat is supported, the delay before repeat shall be adjustable to at least 2 seconds. Key repeat rate shall be adjustable to 2 seconds per character. (4) The status of all locking or toggle controls or keys shall be visually discernible, and discernible either through touch or sound. |
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| Sec. 1194.24 Video and multimedia products. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(a) All analog television displays 13 inches and larger, and
computer equipment that includes analog television receiver or display
circuitry, shall be equipped with caption decoder circuitry which
appropriately receives, decodes, and displays closed captions from
broadcast, cable, videotape, and DVD signals. As soon as practicable,
but not later than July 1, 2002, widescreen digital television (DTV)
displays measuring at least 7.8 inches vertically, DTV sets with
conventional displays measuring at least 13 inches vertically, and
stand-alone DTV tuners, whether or not they are marketed with display
screens, and computer equipment that includes DTV receiver or display
circuitry, shall be equipped with caption decoder circuitry which
appropriately receives, decodes, and displays closed captions from
broadcast, cable, videotape, and DVD signals.
(b) Television tuners, including tuner cards for use in computers, shall be equipped with secondary audio program playback circuitry. (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. |
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| Sec. 1194.25 Self contained, closed products. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(a) Self contained products shall be usable by people with
disabilities without requiring an end-user to attach assistive
technology to the product. Personal headsets for private listening are
not assistive technology.
(b) When a timed response is required, the user shall be alerted and given sufficient time to indicate more time is required. (c) Where a product utilizes touchscreens or contact-sensitive controls, an input method shall be provided that complies with Sec. 1194.23 (k) (1) through (4). (d) When biometric forms of user identification or control are used, an alternative form of identification or activation, which does not require the user to possess particular biological characteristics, shall also be provided. (e) When products provide auditory output, the audio signal shall be provided at a standard signal level through an industry standard connector that will allow for private listening. The product must provide the ability to interrupt, pause, and restart the audio at anytime. (f) When products deliver voice output in a public area, incremental volume control shall be provided with output amplification up to a level of at least 65 dB. Where the ambient noise level of the environment is above 45 dB, a volume gain of at least 20 dB above the ambient level shall be user selectable. A function shall be provided to automatically reset the volume to the default level after every use. (g) Color coding shall not be used as the only means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. (h) When a product permits a user to adjust color and contrast settings, a range of color selections capable of producing a variety of contrast levels shall be provided. (i) Products shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. (j) Products which are freestanding, non-portable, and intended to be used in one location and which have operable controls shall comply with the following: (1) The position of any operable control shall be determined with respect to a vertical plane, which is 48 inches in length, centered on the operable control, and at the maximum protrusion of the product within the 48 inch length (see Figure 1 of this part). (2) Where any operable control is 10 inches or less behind the reference plane, the height shall be 54 inches maximum and 15 inches minimum above the floor. (3) Where any operable control is more than 10 inches and not more than 24 inches behind the reference plane, the height shall be 46 inches maximum and 15 inches minimum above the floor. (4) Operable controls shall not be more than 24 inches behind the reference plane (see Figure 2 of this part). |
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| Sec. 1194.26 Desktop and portable computers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(a) All mechanically operated controls and keys shall comply with
Sec. 1194.23(k)(1) through (4).
(b) If a product utilizes touchscreens or touch-operated controls, an input method shall be provided that complies with Sec. 1194.23 (k) (1) through (4). (c) When biometric forms of user identification or control are used, an alternative form of identification or activation, which does not require the user to possess particular biological characteristics, shall also be provided. (d) Where provided, at least one of each type of expansion slots, ports and connectors shall comply with publicly available industry standards. |
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| Sec. 1194.31 Functional performance criteria. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(a) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that
does not require user vision shall be provided, or support for assistive
technology used by people who are blind or visually impaired shall be
provided.
(b) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require visual acuity greater than 20/70 shall be provided in audio and enlarged print output working together or independently, or support for assistive technology used by people who are visually impaired shall be provided. (c) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user hearing shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing shall be provided. (d) Where audio information is important for the use of a product, at least one mode of operation and information retrieval shall be provided in an enhanced auditory fashion, or support for assistive hearing devices shall be provided. (e) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user speech shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people with disabilities shall be provided. (f) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require fine motor control or simultaneous actions and that is operable with limited reach and strength shall be provided. |
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| Sec. 1194.41 Information, documentation, and support. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(a) Product support documentation provided to end-users shall be
made available in alternate formats upon request, at no additional
charge.
(b) End-users shall have access to a description of the accessibility and compatibility features of products in alternate formats or alternate methods upon request, at no additional charge. (c) Support services for products shall accommodate the communication needs of end-users with disabilities. |
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Viatech uses a five (5)-step process to achieve 508 compliance, which is depicted in the figure below. Each step is explained in detail and will demonstrate:
- A clear understanding of functional requirements for 508 compliance
- Quality of analysis and feasibility of approach
- Practical knowledge of software technologies and application development issues
- A fundamental understanding of the technical environment
| 508 Compliance Process |
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Our approach to Section 508 compliance is a methodical and proven process. It is a direct result of our contractual efforts. Viatech participates on 508 Compliance Boards and supported the development of Agency-wide policy and procedures for implementation. In addition, our employees have undergone extensive training in 508 compliance techniques and applied this working knowledge to the development of numerous 508 compliant multi-media products that reside on the various organizations’ intranets and internet. We will ensure that our personnel will have the requisite skills to implement 508 compliant products. Viatech is an accomplished practitioner of 508 compliant endeavors and products.
Our 508-compliance process ensures that full compliance with applicable standards is achieved in a cost efficient manner. STEP 1 -UNDERSTAND THE TASK The first step of the process requires a clear understanding of the functional requirements for 508 compliance. |
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Statement of Task This task involves bringing any aspect of the Identity Management Task, Communications and Information Technology Support Task, or our Monthly Status Reports Task, into compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, as required. Overview of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Goal The goal of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act is to introduce accessibility features for people with disabilities into all electronic and Information Technology (IT) products procured, developed, maintained, and used by all Federal agencies. Accessibility features are important because they enhance the lives of people with disabilities by allowing them to hold jobs and accomplish objectives, just as if they were not disabled. Accessibility is about good design and making IT work for everyone. For example, a well-designed web site that is navigable with a keyboard instead of a mouse or can support a screen reader that reads web pages aloud, makes the web site usable by people with disabilities. Along these same lines, visual signals with captioning can make audio information accessible to people who are deaf or have hearing impairments. Since many accessibility features are inexpensive and simple to implement, like larger font sizes and more color choices, all federal departments and agencies are required to comply with Section 508, to the extent that it does not pose an “undue burden”, or significant difficulty or expense. A claim of undue burden can be filed by the respective agency in a procurement document although they must still provide disabled persons with access to the product or data that is being claimed exempt. Application (Scope and coverage of accessibility standards) The regulation does not require wholesale upgrades to every government system. Rather, compliance is required for those systems used by Federal workers with disabilities or those systems that are accessed by the public. Section 508 directed an independent federal agency called the Access Board to develop standards for accessibility features. These standards apply to all computers, software, networks, peripherals, and other types of electronic office equipment involved in the storage, manipulation, management, control, display, communication, production, and transport of data. Based on recommendations from an advisory committee made up of representatives from industry, disabilities groups, educators, and nonprofit organizations, the Access Board has already proposed and published these accessibility standards. Implementing Regulations (36 CFR 1194) The accessibility standards are clear and specific to facilitate compliance. They are categorized into sections as follows:
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| Design Considerations for Implementing Regulations | ||
| Information technology areas that require addressing and evaluating in the effort towards compliance to Section 508 are: | ||
| Keyboard Access | ||
| Keyboard access allows disabled users to obtain the same information as that obtained by people without disabilities by including keyboard commands for all mouse actions, such as button clicks, check box or menu selections, text box entries, and window scrolling. Just as important, users need access to documentation on these commands so they know how to use them. Keyboard access will take into consideration 1) a logical tabbing order through user controls so navigation can be done just as easily as tabbing through the fields of a form on a typewriter; 2) a focal point to move in conjunction with the input focus so that assistive technology can track the focus for the user; and 3) support for existing quick keys available through the operating system, like the CTRL+ALT+DEL key sequence that reboots the computer. | ||
| Timing | ||
| Timed responses require users to enter feedback within a given interval of time. Oftentimes, not enough time is given to the user so when practicably they will be given the capability to increase the timed interval if necessary. | ||
| Screen Elements | ||
| There are many text alternatives for images, applets, image maps and other visual attributes. One alternative is to use text labels or descriptors along with these visual attributes so that they can be interpreted by assistive technology used by disabled persons. The screen elements or controls need to be structured so that interpretation is possible. For example, a screen reader would require a text label to end in a colon and to be placed immediately near a control in order for the label to be associated with a particular control. Additionally, text labels will be named clearly and exist for every control and window. Another consideration when using screen elements is to decide whether to use custom built controls or more standard controls because custom controls may not support assistive technologies whereas standard controls will. | ||
| Icons | ||
| Icons should be consistent throughout an application or web page so that the user only has to identify with the same visual cue once. For instance, an icon that depicts a door with an arrow may indicate an exit capability; a different icon that represents this same action can get confusing. If the user cannot be provided with a keyboard option to select an icon, text only icons will be considered. Icons, no matter where they are located, be it on a menu, tool, or status bar, need to have text equivalents assigned, using the “ALT” property, for interpretation by assistive devices. | ||
| Sounds | ||
| Audio information such as an error bell or a notify chime will provide visual cues as well to benefit deaf people or those hearing impaired. Oftentimes the volume for such alerts is too low and needs to be adjusted, and when practical there will be provisions built into the software for this. | ||
| Display | ||
| It may be desirable and oftentimes necessary in the case of seizure-prone users to adjust, or even disable, moving or flashing displays. The capability to change or disable screen or image background patterns, colors, and contrast levels will be taken into consideration as well. | ||
| Color | ||
| Just as important as display choice is color choice. Users will be given the capability to override default settings like colors with those of their choice for easier readability, especially if they are colorblind. The developer will ensure that user-defined color settings do not pertain to just a single screen and are instead supported throughout the product for maximum accessibility. Additionally, color-coding will never be used as the sole means of conveying information or specifying an action. | ||
| Size | ||
| Users will be given the capability to increase font sizes for easier readability on both screen and printed report displays. | ||
| Documentation | ||
| Documentation is important because it makes a product or technology usable. It includes manuals, reports, charts, graphics, and pictures, all of which need to be made available in multiple formats, such as in a text-based format and in an electronic format, so that it is not reliant on one device to interpret it. In addition, text or captioning needs to be provided for audio files so that they are usable by people who are deaf or have hearing impairments. | ||
| STEP 2 - DEVELOP TASK APPROACH |
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Viatech’s understanding of the environment and knowledge of software development issues form the basis of the approach. Each Task embodied in this RFQ will be assessed, as required, for development of a compliant approach. The “state of the art” strategy for 508 compliance is a three-phase approach consisting of evaluating, repairing and testing. This strategy is applicable to both Web based and client server applications. Viatech is confident that this methodology will lead to successful compliance with the minimum cost. Our approach to make services support compliant breaks the task into 3 pieces:
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STEP 3 - STAFF THE TASK
Our personnel, as discussed in the “Key Personnel and Project Staffing Plan” would be used to staff any undertaking of developing compliant Communications or Information Technology systems. |
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Viatech has a substantial “reach back” capability in this area and additional personnel resources, which are also familiar with 508 compliance issues, can be made available, if so desired, but are beyond the scope of our proposal. |
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STEP 4 - EXECUTE THE TASK
In general, an information technology system is accessible to people with disabilities if it can be used in a variety of ways that do not depend on a single sense or ability. Many organizations have developed guidelines that form the foundation of the regulations. There are several recognized agencies that are leaders in the area of accessible technology. We have learned from these agencies and utilize what they’ve done to make the government’s IT more accessible. |
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Phase 1:
Evaluate the existing components for compliance with section 508 using steps A, B and C defined below. |
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| Step A | ||
The first step would be to use existing automated tools to document possible non-compliance issues. Some of these tools are:
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| Step B | ||
| The second step is to preview the page with a reader. This will help ensure that a page is usable with many different types of output devices such as Braille readers, voice readers and TTY devices. Free readers are “Lynx Viewer”, IBM’s “Home Page Reader” and Hentor-Joyce’s “Jaws”. Furthermore, it will ensure that the structure of the page is appropriate. Remedies to structure may have to be performed on the data itself. | ||
| Step C | ||
| The third step in documenting possible non-compliance issues is to have a user view the site and a developer review the HTML for possible problems with accessibility issues. This is a manual process that would help ensure complete compliance by examing such issues as clarity of language and ease of navigation. We use the Department of Justice’s “Web Page Accessibilty Check List” and the “Software Accessibilty Check List” to aid in this step. The check lists are very thorough. For example, they confirm that alternative text is available for items such as images, applets, image map links, and graphical buttons. | ||
Several tools exist to assist the developer in modifying WEB pages. The developer will ensure that the selected tools confirm changes, prior to automatically performing the required steps. Some of the tools that can help make this process more efficient are:
- “HTML Tidy” by W3C, “A-Prompt” from the University of Toronto to identify problems and help the author correct them
- “ALT Repair Kit” developed by Sonicon to allow ALT text to be added to a Web page in-line
- “Text-Only Maker (TOM)” from the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA)
- “Tidy” by Dave Raggett to clean up HTML/XML, and “Demoronizer” developed by Tom Christiansen to remove vendor-specific HTML conventions and extensions.
Phase 3 - Test
Once the interface has been modified, it will be tested in accordance to test plans and evaluation scripts developed during Phase 1. This iterative, 3-phase approach is implemented until satisfactory results are obtained. Once the team is satisfied that an application is 508 compliant, users with disabilities should test it.
This final testing stage is critical because it allows the users with disabilities to test the modified product or technology to ensure it can be used by them. Specifically, the application pages/screens should be run with a number of assistive devices, such as screen readers, screen enlargement software, and voice recognition devices. The output of this test would be a description of the successes and issues users experienced during their testing so that the development team can formulate plans to correct the problems identified in this and other applications.
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STEP 5 -COMPLETE THE TASK
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Once the process has been completed, the PM will review the documentation and system to ensure that all problems have been tracked to completion and that any test plans/scripts have been executed successfully and placed under configuration management. |