Section 508 Background

Disability rights laws are intended to remove barriers to people with disabilities and providing equal opportunity for access. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) required removal of physical barriers – wheelchair ramps, curb cuts, Braille elevator buttons, etc. The embrace of the “e-society” presents a new set of possible barriers. Access to electronic and information technology for people with disabilities is a significant law and policy issue.

Rehabilitation Act

• Passed in 1973, it defines the rights of persons with disabilities to help them re-enter the workforce
• Prohibits discrimination on the basis of a disability in programs or activities receiving Federal funds

1998 Amendments

Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make new opportunities available to people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals.

• Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 (part of the Workforce Investment Act) more specifically defined section 508 among others
  • Recognizes that we have moved towards a more electronic society and that to survive in the workplace, electronic and information technology (E&IT) must be accessible
  • Using inaccessible technology creates a hostile work environment

A work environment that uses inaccessible technology essentially states, “persons with disabilities need not apply here” since competently performing the job would be impossible or require constant assistance from coworkers.

• Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act requires Federal employers to make reasonable accommodations for an employee’s disability
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination by federal agencies in any federally funded or federally conducted programs or activities.

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© 1998-2025 Laura L. Carlson
Email: lcarlson@d.umn.edu
Department: Information Technology Systems and Services, University of Minnesota Duluth
Document Last Modified: 2006
Page URL: http:// www.d.umn.edu /~lcarlson/staffmeeting/background.html

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