A.1. What is section 508?
Section 508 Acquisition FAQ'sSection 508 refers to a statutory section in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (found at 29 U.S.C. 794d). Congress significantly strengthened section 508 in the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. Its primary purpose is to provide access to and use of Federal executive agencies’ electronic and information technology (EIT) by individuals with disabilities. The statutory language of section 508 can be found at www.section508.gov.
Related QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions About Section 508: Accessible Tec...Section 508 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 amended in 1998 through the Workforce Investment Act. It requires that electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained or used by the federal government to be accessible to people with disabilities. The Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards promulgated by the U.S. Access Board provide the accessibility requirements for mainstream technology.Related Questions
What is the purpose of Section 508?
Frequently Asked Questions About Section 508: Accessible Tec...The 1986 version of Section 508 established non-binding guidelines for technology accessibility, while the 1998 version creates binding, enforceable standards and for incorporation into Federal procurement regulations. Federal agencies use these standards in all their electronic and information technology acquisitions. It promotes competition in the technology industry by clarifying the Federal marketplace requirement for accessibility in products intended for general use.
Related QuestionsFAQ Frequently Asked Questions - Digital Brushstrokes - Web ...Section 508 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which requires that electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by the Federal Government be accessible to people with disabilities. On August 7, 1998, the President signed into law the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, which includes the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998.Related Questions
White Lion Internet Agency - Frequent Questions - www.wlion....In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Inaccessible technology interferes with an individual's ability to obtain and use information quickly and easily.Related Questions
Nortel: Rehabilitation Networking Solutions - Frequently Ask...Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 applies to U.S. Federal departments and agencies when they develop, buy, lease, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Federal departments and agencies must ensure equal access to, and use of, electronic and information technology for Federal employees with disabilities and members of the public seeking information or services from their agency.Related Questions
QuestionsSection 508 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which requires that electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by the Federal government be accessible to people with disabilities. On August 7, 1998, the President signed into law the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, which includes the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998.Related Questions
LNS Captioning - Frequently Asked QuestionsSection 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.Related Questions
How is Section 508 different from the ADA?
Frequently Asked Questions About Section 508: Accessible Tec...Section 508 focuses on the overall accessibility of electronic and information technology systems, not on providing accommodations at individual worksites. This is different from the ADA which requires CSU to provide reasonable accommodations and auxiliary aids and services tailored to individuals with disabilities.
Related QuestionsA.2.i. What does section 508 require?
Section 508 Acquisition FAQ'sSection 508 generally requires Federal agencies to ensure that their procurement of EIT takes into account the needs of all end users – including people with disabilities. Doing so enhances the ability of Federal employees with disabilities to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to that provided to others.
Related QuestionsA.5. Are there regulations implementing section 508?
Section 508 Acquisition FAQ'si. Access Board Standards. The first regulation implementing section 508 was issued by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (the "Access Board"), an independent Federal agency, whose primary mission is to promote accessibility for individuals with disabilities. This regulation is referred to as the Access Board’s "standards." The standards, along with an explanatory preamble, were published in the Federal Register, as a final rule, on December 21, 2000 (65 Fed.
Related QuestionsC.4 Are subcontractors subject to Section 508?
Section 508 Acquisition FAQ'sSection 508 does not impose requirements on contractors or subcontractors. Instead, it only imposes requirements on the product specifications of EIT procured by federal agencies. Prime contractors may enter into subcontracts in the performance of a Federal contract for EIT, but the prime remains obligated to deliver what is called for under the contract (e.g., EIT that meets the Access Board's standards).
Related Questionsi. Who is responsible for enforcing Section 508? Are there any reporting requirements?
Section 508 Acquisition FAQ'sIndividuals with disabilities are responsible for enforcing the requirements of Section 508. Individuals with disabilities may file a complaint with an agency or bring a civil action in Federal Court for an agency's noncompliance with the requirements of section 508. Section 508(f) requires agencies to provide procedures for resolving complaints by individuals who allege that an agency has failed to comply with the requirements of section 508 in providing EIT.
Related QuestionsH.3. What contract actions must satisfy section 508?
Section 508 Acquisition FAQ'sAll orders placed on or after June 25, 2001 under IDIQ contracts irrespective of when the underlying IDIQ contract was awarded. (Thus, IDIQ contracts may include items that do not meet the applicable technical provisions of the Access Board’s standards; however, any task or delivery order issued for those items must meet an applicable exception.) Within-scope modifications for the acquisition of EIT under contracts awarded before June 25, 2001 (e.g.
Related QuestionsDo other countries have laws like Section 508?
Frequently Asked Questions About Section 508: Accessible Tec...At least 26 countries around the world have already adopted laws like Section 508 governing the accessible design of web sites. Access Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance by co-author Cynthia Waddell for more information. In addition, the European Union is engaged in an e-Accessibility initiative moving towards a mandate for member countries to procure accessible electronic and information technology.
Related QuestionsDo I have to comply with Section 508 Guidelines?
Blackboard Support at NPS: Instructor FAQsIf you can, you must. If you are uploading files such as word documents, or files converted by software that does not allow for "alt" tags and other html features, then you can't. However, Blackboard itself is fully compliant, and allows for alt tags for images uploaded into Blackboard, and so forth. Any new html files that you create should be 508-compliant. For more information on Section 508, please see www.w3.org/WAI/wcag-curric/.
Related QuestionsWhat about section 508 compliance?
Rocket SoftwareThe content complies with the accessibility requirements of section 508 because the content is dynamically (and temporarily) written into the target pages at runtime. Thus, for example, it responds to the user's accessibility browser settings (such as large text), buttons within the content are in the pages tab sequence, text-to-voice software can read the content as part of the page, etc.
Related QuestionsSection A: General stuff A.1. What's comp.sys.acorn.networking?
The comp.sys.acorn.networking FAQThis group is for discussion related to networking of Acorn machines. This includes both connecting your own machine to the Internet and running a local-area network of machines.
Related QuestionsHow will Section 508 be enforced?
QuestionsBecause the Section 508 standards will be incorporated into the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), agencies' procurement of accessible technology will be subject to the same stringent compliance and enforcement mechanisms as other parts of the FAR. There is an administrative complaint process which becomes effective six months after the Board issued its final standards.
Related QuestionsC.1. Who within the agency is responsible for ensuring EIT purchases comply with section 508?
Section 508 Acquisition FAQ'sAcquisition of EIT that meets the applicable technical provisions of the Access Board’s standards is the shared responsibility of requiring activity officials and contracting officials. Requiring activity officials (i.e., officials in the program office or organization that is funding and acquiring the EIT) are responsible for -- identifying applicable technical provisions of the Access Board’s standards in their requirements documents (see FAR 11.002 and section B.2.
Related QuestionsD.1. How does section 508 affect the requirements development phase of an acquisition?
Section 508 Acquisition FAQ'sSection 508 requires agencies to take additional considerations into account when defining their needs for EIT – namely the Access Board’s standards. As noted above, section 508 affects what an agency buys, not generally how the agency buys it. No. Requiring officials need only consider all applicable technical provisions from the Access Board’s standards to ensure acquired products provide comparable access (see section B.2.ii, above).
Related Questionsi. Do the standards require a contractor’s workplace to be Section 508 compliant?
Section 508 Acquisition FAQ'sNo. Unlike some other civil rights laws (such as section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act), the section 508 responsibilities do not follow the receipt of Federal funds to contractors, but only apply to the product and services being procured by Federal agencies. Section 508 applies only to Federal agencies – including their EIT products and services that are deliverables under a contract. Section 508 does not apply to a contractor’s own internal workplace EIT.
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