Section 508 Amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a set of guidelines and laws that require creators of electronic and information technology products to make their products accessible and usable for people with disabilities.

Similar laws exist in the European Union (EN 301 549), Germany (Federal directive on barrier-free IT), the UK (Accessibility Regulations 2018), Italy (Accessibilità law), Australia (Disability Discrimination Act), and several other countries, all requesting accessibility measures comparable to Section 508.

In Iran, a similar law was implemented by nationalizing the ISO/IEC 40500:2012 standard as “Iran-ISO-IEC 40500, 2018” titled “Information Technology, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.” It requires web software developers to ensure access to their products for all groups by following the specified guidelines.

Main provisions of Section 508 to facilitate software accessibility for people with disabilities:

a) Provide alternative text for all non-text elements. (Example: using alt, longdesc, or a textual element alongside a non-text element)

b) Provide alternative content for all multimedia.

c) Web pages must be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also visible without color.

d) Pages should be usable and viewable even without CSS files.

e) Add text links for image maps. (More info: ISMAP)

f) Use client-side equivalents instead of server-side image maps, except where regions cannot be defined with existing geometric shapes.

g) Identify row and column headers as part of table information.

h) Use markup to associate table cells with headers in data tables that have two or more logical levels.

i) Frames (e.g., slideshows) must be defined by text and navigable via text (e.g., back/forward buttons).

j) Pages must avoid causing flicker at frequencies between 2Hz and 55Hz.

k) When any of the above isn’t feasible, a text-only page with equivalent information or functionality must be provided and updated whenever the main page changes.

l) If the page uses scripting languages for content display or UI, it must still be accessible to assistive technologies.

m) If special plugins are needed to view content, the plugin link must be provided on the page. (§1194.21)

n) Online forms must allow users of assistive technologies to access all parts of the form for completion and submission.

o) Users must be able to skip repetitive navigation and directly access the desired page.

p) If a response is required within a time limit, users must be warned and given the option to extend the time.

As you can see, implementing these provisions may only add about 10% to a project’s deadline but ensures that your website is accessible to over a billion people with some form of disability.

More:
Download A Web for Everyone: Designing Accessible User Experiences
By Sarah Horton and Whitney Quesenbery

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