# Presentation: 419812

## Section 508 Accessible Web:  

**Section 508 Accessible Web:  **
**US & International Impact**
**Cynthia D. Waddell, JD      **
**Executive Director, International Center for **
**Disability Resources on the Internet****                                                                                                      **

**                     ****NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center**
**INFORMATION SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COLLOQUIUM**

**                                  ****8 October 2003                                                                                                                                Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland**

## Published with permission from USGSA

**Published with permission from USGSA**

## Technology Overview

**Technology Crossroad**

**Complaints Filed Due to   Inaccessible Web Design**

**Development of Accessible Web Laws & Policies **

-  **Impact in US and Abroad**

## Technology Crossroad

**Explosive Growth Contributing to User Interface Requirements **

**Shift to Web Applications &              Enterprise Portals**

-  **IT Evolution to Multi-Modality **
**  ****Architecture**

-  **Civil Rights Alignment**

## White House Digital Economy Conference

**	****The Growing Digital Divide in Access for People with Disabilities: Overcoming Barriers to Participation **
**   ****by Cynthia D. Waddell**

**Commissioned by US Dept of Commerce & the National Science Foundation**

**www.icdri.org/the_digital_divide.htm**

## Web Complaints

**1995 Americans with Disabilities Act Complaint against the City of San Jose, CA USA 1995**

**Led to first Accessible Web Design Standard for Local Government and Federal recognition as a Best Practice**

## Web Complaints

**Australian Disability Discrimination Act Complaint (DDA) against Sydney Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) 1999**

**Court Found SOCOG in Breach of the DDA and Ordered that the Web Site be made Accessible**

## Development of Internet Standards

**World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative-1997**

**US– Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards (1998 Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act strengthening Section 508)**

## W3C Web Accessibility Initiative

**Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG)- 1999**
**Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (ATAG)-2000**
**User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (UAAG)-2002**

## Section 508- US

**Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 Strengthened Section 508**

-  **Electronic & Information        **
**  ****Technology Accessibility Standards**

-  **Expanded Definition of **
**  ****Accessibility in the Design of EIT   **
**  ****Procured by the Federal Govt**

## Section 508- Scope

**Hardware/Software****   ****   **

** ****Any IT used in creation, conversion or duplication **
**of data or information**

** ****Web Pages**

** ****Databases**

** ****Fax Machines/Copiers**

** ****ITMs, Kiosks**

** ****Telephones**

** ****Multimedia**

## Section 508- Web

**§****1194.22 Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications **
**§1194.41 Information, Documentation and Support**
**     ****www.access-board.gov/508.htm**

## Section 508- Web

**A Web Site satisfies Section 508 if it meets § 1194.22 (a) – (p) OR **
**A Web Site satisfies Section 508 if it meets W3C WCAG 1.0, Priority One checkpoints AND §1194.22 (l), (m), (n), (o), and (p)**
**     **

## Section 508- Impact

**Accessibility in Mainstream EIT**

-  **Accessibility in Both Products &        **
**  ****Support – Help Desk,  **
**  ****Documentation & Training **

-  **Interoperability for Mainstream        **
**   ****EIT & Assistive **
**   ****Computer Technology**

## Section 508- Impact

**Provides a Private Right of Action Against Federal Agencies **

-  **Provides a Marketplace Incentive                       **
**  ****for Designing Accessibly **

**Informs Entities Covered under ADA and Section 504**

## Section 508-Impact

**Requires an Accessible IT & Web Design Plan -  Cannot Handle IT Accessibility Issues Exclusively on an “Ad Hoc” or “As Needed Basis”**
**Ripple Effect is Underway – States and Local Governments are Adopting Section 508**

## State Laws

**States are Subject to Federal Laws Prohibiting Discrimination Against People with Disabilities **

**Every State Also Has State Statutes Prohibiting Discrimination**

**Every State is Unique in Structure and System**

## State Accessibility Drivers

**eCommerce Govt Initiatives Require Every Citizen Access**

**Workforce Investment Act Requires Accessible Information Technology at One-Stop Centers**

**Help America Vote Act Requires Accessible Voting Machines **

## California

**Amended CA Government Code §11135 Prohibiting Discrimination Against Disability**

**Requires All Recipients of State Funding to Develop, Procure, Maintain or Use EIT Complying with Section 508**

**Existing Private Right of Action; Now Also Requires Contractor Resolution of E&IT Complaints**

## State Observations

**Trend for States To Have Web Accessibility Policies based on W3C WCAG or Section 508 or a Hybrid **

**  ****Non-Web Section 508 Technical ****	****Standards for Accessibility Have ****	****Not Appeared to Advance as ****	****Quickly in Application ****	****Development & IT Procurement**

## State Observations

**Some States Have Administrative Complaint Procedures and Authorize Civil Action (Missouri, Kentucky, N. Carolina, Arkansas)**

**  ****One State Requires Vendor ****	****to        ****	****Take a State Web Accessibility ****	****Course Based on State Standards ****	****for Entry into RFP Process ****	****(Connecticut)**

## ITTATC State Initiative Reports

**	****Information Technology Technical Assistance & Training Center**

**  ****2002 Needs & Barriers to Achieving IT                            **
**    ****Accessibility        **
**   ****2002 State IT Accessibility Standards, **
**     ****Laws/Policies & Resources**
**   ****2002 State Web Site **
**     ****IT Accessibility Standards **

**www.ittatc.org/stateDocs/state.cfm**

## Federal Accessibility Forum

**Industry, Consumer, Academia & Government Stakeholders in Section 508 Effort **

**www.accessibilityforum.org**

## Global Impact

**Growing Number of Governments Around the World are Adopting Accessible Web Design Standards**** **

**Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, UK, US**
_**Constructing Accessible Web Sites**_

## European Union

**e-Accessibility Priorities**

**Policies to Avoid ‘Info-Exclusion’**
**Adoption of W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines for Public Web Sites**
**Publication of ‘Design for All’ Standards**
**Review of Relevant Legislation to Conform to Accessibility Principles **

## European Union

**e-Accessibility Priorities**

**Establish National Centers of Excellence & Create European Curriculum- April 2002**
**European ICT Standards Groups (CEN & ETSI)Guidelines for ICT Products & Services:  Design for All -2002**
**EuroAccessibility Consortium- April 2003**

## United Nations Activity

**Proposed International Treaty or Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities**

**Seeks Full Participation in Society  Including Barrier Removal and Reasonable Accommodation**

** ****Accessible ICT with Reasonable **
**  ****Accommodation**

## 	    Call for Accessible ICT

**March 2003 Manila Declaration on Accessible Information and Communications Technology (ICT)**

**April 2003 Quito Declaration**

**June 2003 Bangkok Declaration**

**September 2003 UN Economic & Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific- Emerging Social Issues**

## Accessible Web Resource

**Includes Global Survey of Accessible Web Law and Policies as well as In Depth Look at Section 508**

##  	   Accessible Web Resources

**Cynthia SaysTM Portal**
**  ****www.cynthiasays.com**

** ****Online Web Accessibility Validator  **
**  ****for Section 508 and W3C WCAG**
** ****Help Resources and Tutorials**
** ****www.access-board.gov/508.htm**

## Perform Self-Evaluations of Electronic & Information Technology

**IT Changes - Civil Rights Do Not**

**Perform Self-Evaluations of Electronic & Information Technology**

**Adopt Accessible Web **
**  ****Policies & Implementation  **
**  ****Procedures**

## IT Changes - Civil Rights Do Not

**IT Changes - Civil Rights Do Not**

**Provide Web Developers and Managers Accessibility Training, Design Tools and Resources**

-   **Build Accessibility into Web- **
**   ****Based Applications and System  **
**   ****Design**

## Consult the Community of People with Disabilities as We Address Challenges Ahead

**IT Changes - Civil Rights Do Not**

**Consult the Community of People with Disabilities as We Address Challenges Ahead**

## Contact Information:

**Contact Information:**
**Cynthia D. Waddell                        ICDRI Executive Director        Telephone:  (408) 266-3822      Email:  Cynthia.Waddell@icdri.org **
**Mailing Address:                            1677 Fairwood Avenue                   San Jose, California  USA 95125-4939**