# Presentation: 160367

## Section 508

*“**I call on all Americans to celebrate the vital contributions of individuals with disabilities as we work towards fulfilling the promise of the ADA to give all our citizens the opportunity to live with dignity, work productively, and achieve their dreams.”*
-          	-- GEORGE W. BUSH,  Proclamation, July 24, 2007

## Section 508: Why comply?

**It’s the right thing to do:**
- 11,400,000 people have visual conditions not correctible by glasses.
- 6,400,000 new cases of eye disease occur each year.
- 2,800,000 people are visually handicapped from color blindness.
- 1,100,000 people are legally blind.
**And It’s the law.**

## 508: Problematic Web Files

| OpDiv | PDF | PPT | DOC | Flash | ZIP | Video | Podcast |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| HHS w/OS | 3,510 | 557 | 937 | 0 | 21 | N/A | N/A |
| ACF | 3,820 | 192 | 1,590 | 3 | 149 | N/A | N/A |
| AHRQ | 3,470 | 695 | 450 | 3 | 294 | N/A | N/A |
| AoA | 1,820 | 173 | 541 | 2 | 56 | N/A | N/A |
| CDC | 64,200 | 3,070 | 2,030 | 459 | 770 | N/A | N/A |
| CMS | 22,300 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 8,070 | N/A | N/A |
| FDA | 181,000 | 5,030 | 4,440 | 170 | 441 | N/A | N/A |
| HRSA | 3,640 | 358 | 574 | 14 | 22 | N/A | N/A |
| IHS | 5,710 | 538 | 1,880 | 9 | 167 | N/A | N/A |
| NIH | 48,000 | 3,690 | 8,300 | 419 | 6,520 | N/A | N/A |
| OIG | 5,480 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | N/A | N/A |
| SAMHSA | 5,990 | 598 | 862 | 17 | 131 | N/A | N/A |
| TOTAL   ==> | 348,940 | 14,902 | 21,606 | 1,115 | 16,644 | ??? | ??? |

## 508: Contracting Language

- Interim acquisition policy provides language applicable to Statements of Work (SOW) or Performance Work Statements (PWS)
- Covers all Web sites & content for Web sites
- Covers communications materials - including reports, documents, charts, posters, and audio or video materials
- Placed on a department-owned or department-funded Web site.
- Intended for public or internal use

## 508: Low vs High Compliance

- Contractors may ask what you require.
- Long story (stems from original W3C levels)
- HHS requires High Compliance
- Expect contractors to utilize “Best Practices”
- Best available guidelines & techniques

## Myths & Facts: Word Docs

- Myth:
- Word docs are easier for people to use
- Fact:
- Word docs require the user have MS Word
- Fact:
- Word docs should be the choice _only_  when the file needs to be modified by the end user.

## PDF Myths & Facts:  Signed Documents

- Myth:
- PDF files necessary to show signature.
- Fact:
- U.S. Code proscribes handling signature as text
- Fact:
- OCIO being asked to ban signature files to prevent identify theft.

## PDF Myths & Facts:  “Etched in Stone”

- Myth:
- If I post the file as a PDF, no one can change it.
- Fact
- There are any number of freeware and software apps that alter PDF was easily as html.

## PDF Myths & Facts: Faster, Easier

- Posting PDF files is faster, easier
- Maybe for you
- But not for the end user
- And not if you make them 508 compliant
- Which, from now on, you must.

## 508: Changing the Business Process

## 508 Compliance: Clean Out the Basement

## 508 Compliance: Clean Out the Basement

-                 This is your very best friend.
-                 Use it wisely.
-                 Use it a lot.
- Eliminate old PDFs and DOCs
- Eliminate PowerPoints
- Eliminate old videos, webinars & podcasts
- Ask yourself, “Is retaining this content worth the cost of making it 508 compliant?”

## 508 Compliance Tools and PDFs

- We are all learning what is best
- No magic bullet
- Sharing information and ideas critical
- We pledge to keep guidance as easy as possible
- Many, many variations in what we have on Web sites makes it difficult to cover all in guidance
- Call us when you have a question re Web

## 508: Moving Forward – Wise Choices

-  HTML is the format of first choice for Web-posted documents and files.
- HTML may be supplemented by PDF if there is a need to retain formatting for printing/handout by end user.
- HTML may be supplemented by DOC file _only _if there is a need for the end user to modify the document for distribution (add local phone number, etc.)
- We can think of no reason to post both PDF and DOC versions of a document.
- If the document is posted in HTML, it is _not_ necessary to make either PDF or DOC 508 compliant.
- Lengthy or complex documents may be posted in PDF format only.
- They must be 508 compliant
- Documents over 9 pages must have bookmarks

## All Videos Must Be Captioned

## 508: Forms Must Be Compliant

- This is the HHS Intranet Forms Page

## If You Have It, Don’t Use It 

- If You Have It, Don’t Use It

- CutePDF (recently installed on OS machines) and similar programs _do not_ create 508-compliant PDFs.    Do not use them.

## If You Don’t Have It, Get It

- Adobe Acrobat Professional v8.0
- Department standard for creating and/or verifying 508-compliant PDF documents

## CommonLook: An Add-on Tool

- Supplements Acrobat Pro 8
- Specialty tool
- For complex tables
- Expensive
- NIH currently evaluating

## Guidance: Creating Compliant PDFs

## 508: When All Else Fails

- Provide access to help on file-by-file basis

## 508: PowerPoint Presentations (PPTs)

- Impossible to make compliant for external Web sites
- The free viewer does not enable accessibility
- Must be converted to accessible html
- With accessible html, PPT may then be posted
- With full speaker’s notes, ok for intranet
- Guidance being developed

## 508: Checking Compliance(Watchfire has been acquired by IBM)

- Has been rolled out to all OPDIVs
- Training sessions held
- Roll out to STAFFDIVs within 2 weeks
- Training sessions to be scheduled
- Questions: Julie Sothoron

## 508: Checking Compliance(Watchfire has been acquired by IBM)

- Tested against one of the ADA surveys
- Set for “Automatic” 508 testing
- Missed a lot
- Added “Manual” 508 testing
- Watchfire matched ADA results
- _Both_ settings must be used for full compliance check

## 508: Checking Compliance(Watchfire has been acquired by IBM)

- Watchfire does _not_ test files
- (ADA did not either)
- Run Watchfire “Inventory” report
- Will generate list of files
- Files need to be checked with other tools
- For PDF: Adobe Acrobat Professional v8.0

## Process for Developing HHS Standards

## Standards Applicability: Unchanged Language

- HHS Web standards are developed by the Web Communications Division in collaboration with the HHS Web Representatives and are given final approval by the Representatives. Standards and/or amendments may be proposed by any HHS organization through its Web Representative.
- Approved Web standards apply enterprise-wide to all HHS Web content, including Internet, intranet, and extranet (password protected) sites, whether created in-house or by a contractor and whether hosted by HHS or by another party. HHS in this context refers to all Operating Divisions and Staff Divisions (OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs).
- HHS standards apply to partnership Web sites and cross-agency Web sites created and/or managed by HHS unless such a site has a governing board that specifies a different standard(s).

## Standards Applicability: Revised Language

- Standards, upon approval, are forward-looking. This means that they are to be applied as new pages/sites are developed and as old pages/sites are redesigned or updated. *It is not necessary to revise existing content solely for the purpose of applying new standards or amendments to standards.*
- Should it be necessary to apply a standard or amendment retroactively, that exception will be made clear, will be widely publicized, and a timeframe for compliance will be provided.
- Offices or programs with Web sites in development at the time a standard or amendment is approved should make a best-faith effort, within the confines of any affected contract, to apply the new or revised standard.
- All sites under development, no matter what stage of development they may be in, must meet standards or amendments that are to be applied retroactively.