508 The Law
Effective June 21, 2001 new rules are mandated by Section 508, 1194.22 of the Workforce
Investment Act. 508 is an amendment to the Workforce
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The new law applies to all Web
sites operated by government agencies like the University. It
requires web pages to comply with accessibility standards.
Under the new law, Web sites are required to structure their
design, content and underlying technologies to be accessible to
people with disabilities. In plain English, section 508 aims to
provide people with disabilities access to information equal to
their non-disabled colleagues.
The official home of the
Section 508 Law - from section508.gov states sixteen
specific items that are required for Web accessibility.
- (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.
Please note: Section 508 does not require
an agency to retrofit Web pages that existed prior to June 21,
2001. However whenever a page is updated it is considered "new"
and must comply with 508. A decision to be proactive and
retrofit under the 508 standards, will reduce an agency's risk
of exposure to lawsuits.
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