The volume of confusion was already high when the passage of Section 508 of the U.S. Workforce Investment Act cranked it up to 11. (Note: We write from an American perspective and use American examples in this section, but the same principles apply no matter where you are and no matter what your local laws might be.)
Section 508 requires that many sites accommodate people with disabilities ranging from limited mobility to a vast range of visual impairments, and it spells out what accessible means. (Hint: Adding alt attributes to your images is not enough.) Faced with such a task, many web professionals conclude that accessibility means text-only pages or unattractive, "low-end" design. This isn't so.
Images, CSS, table layouts, JavaScript, and other staples of contemporary web design are entirely compatible with 508 compliance; they simply require a little extra care. As this chapter progresses, we'll examine some of what accessibility and Section 508 compliance specifically entails, and we'll explore how you can use intelligent judgment and available tools to make your sites comply beautifully.
Section 508 is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which is intended to end discrimination against people who have disabilities. Enacted by the U.S. Congress on August 7, 1998, Public Law 105-220 (Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 [http://www.usworkforce.org/wialaw.txt]) significantly expanded 508's technology access requirements. The law covers computers, FAX machines, copiers, telephones, transaction machines and kiosks, and other equipment used for transmitting, receiving, or storing information. It also covers many websites.
Section 508 became U.S. law on June 21, 2001. It directly affects Federal departments and agencies, as well as web designers who produce work for them. The law also applies to government-funded projects and to any states that choose to adopt it. Many have done so. American readers can check their state's status online at http://www.resna.org/taproject/policy/initiatives/508/508Stateactions.htm.
In a nutshell, Section 508 applies to the following:
Section 508 requires all web sites under its jurisdiction to provide "equal or equivalent access to everyone," including the visually impaired, the hearing impaired, the physically disabled, and people who have photosensitive epilepsy.
Problems faced by these web users might surprise you. For example, small, nonresizable text can prevent people who have limited vision from reading your content. Tiny navigation buttons that have small "hit" areas can thwart those who have impaired motor skills. Blinking or flashing pages can trigger life-threatening seizures in people who have epilepsy. (This is probably not what David Siegel had in mind when he wrote Creating Killer Web Sites [New Riders, 1997].) The list goes on. The law explains many common access problems and suggests, but does not dictate, possible solutions.
Section 508 does not forbid the use of CSS, JavaScript, images, or table layouts. Nor does it prevent you from incorporating rich media such as Flash and QuickTime, as long as you follow certain guidelines discussed later in this chapter. Naturally, most 508-compliant (like most standards-compliant) sites will look spiffier in new browsers than old. That's no problem under the law because web users can freely upgrade simply by downloading, and most popular browsers are available at no charge.
Conformance with accessibility guidelines, along with standards compliance, not only makes your site more available to millions who are living with disabilities, but it also helps you reach millions more, including consumers who use PDAs, web-enabled cell phones, "off-brand" browsers, and kiosks—and attract still more via search engines.
More visitors. More readers. More users. More members. More customers. It all sounds pretty good. So why are designers, developers, and site owners confused about or hostile to Section 508 and similar accessibility regulations? Primarily, they are confused or hostile because myths about access have long soiled the pool. Let us try to clear away some of these mistaken notions.
Check McAfee Current Enterprise Audience Home Page's Section 508 Compliance
Check McAfee Consumer Audience Home Page's Section 508 Compliance