Among the most significant changes are the widespread use of mobile. The purpose of this document is to guide authors in correctly tagging pdf documents. Original section 508 standards did not explicitly provide technical standards for. Except as otherwise permitted or required by this subchapter, a covered entity may not use or disclose protected health information without an authorization that is valid under this section. The eit web accessibility standards indicate that i only need to use the title. Section 508, which is a part of the rehabilitation act, outlines online accessibility standards that federal agencies, contractors and employers must meet. Pdf 508 accessibility checklist the united states social. Compliance with section 508 is critical to huds mission which is to ensure equal access to opportunity by creating strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. Train consider providing training to business partners, so they learn to selfevaluate and.
Do section 508 accessibility standards apply to my website. Authoring and evaluation features that make it easier to create accessible documents. Compliance with section 508 is critical to huds mission which is to ensure equal access to opportunity by creating strong. The checklist below, a series of tables, is based on the content of the pdf. While it does not explicitly address colleges and universities, they would be affected if they receive any funding from the federal or state government. Section 508 may not apply to your website, but other laws likely do, so your website should be accessible. As of january 2018, the technical requirements of section 508 have changed to incorporate wcag 2. Pdfua1 includes most accessibility requirements relevant to the pdf format. The resources in this section were developed by federal agencies and shared here for your convenience. Under section 508, agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable to the access available to others. During the process of updating the standards, pdfua was recommended as the. South carolina mandated that state agency websites be compliant by july 21, 2006. The following standards are excerpted from section 508 of the rehabilitation act, 1194.
Handbook as 508 a, section 508 technical reference guide, presents these policies in greater technical detail. The purpose of this document is to ensure cms compliance with federal requirements relative to any purchase of electronic and information. Access board published a final rule updating accessibility requirements for information and communication technology ict covered by section 508 of the rehabilitation act and. The law requires accessibility of electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by the federal government. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act level access. Harmonizes accessibility requirements with international standards such. Summary of section 508 standards the standards define the types of technology covered and set forth provisions that establish a minimum level of accessibility. Section 508 also requires that individuals with disabilities, who are members of the public seeking information or services from a federal agency, have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to that provided to the public who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. The recent section 508 refresh brought harmonization with the wcag 2. The section 508 standards are part of the federal acquisition regulation far and address access for people with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities. While the checks are good and give more coverage than the adobe checker, there are a few that the aspa 508 team does not view as required fixes for either 508 or wcag 2.
Cioc revised section 508 chapter 4 hardware including mobile. Usaid implementation of section 508 of the rehabilitation act. Pdf files cannot be validated for compliance with section 508 by currently available automation. Among the most significant changes are the widespread use of mobile technology and the increasing use of mobile devices to perform a variety of ict functions. The guidelines in this handbook affect postal service employees, customers, suppliers, and business partners. Irs section 508 compliant pdf forms internal revenue service. Whats new in section 508 it accessibility commonwiki. This guide highlights the changes you need to make to your agencys 508 program, to transition to the revised 508 standards. Access board is responsible for developing information and communication technology ict accessibility standards to incorporate into regulations that govern federal procurement practices. Handbook as508a, section 508 technical reference guide, presents these policies in greater technical detail.
Discover how to to meet regulatory requirements of section 508 and the needs of all users. Ensure that agencies and staff offices within usda i m ple m ent and adhere to all section 508. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act the standards, which have been in place for over 15 years, promote ict that can be accessed by the public and employees with disabilities. Documents distributed via email includes broadcast messages and any attachments. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended the act requires that individuals with disabilities, who are federal employees or members of the public seeking information or services from. Section 508 compliance accessible document solutions. When developing, procuring, maintaining, or using electronic and information technology, each federal department or. Disqualified corporate interest expense disallowed under section 163j and related. For accessible pdf files, the recommended format is the pdf ua format which complies with wcag 2.
It also clarifies how developers should work together with designers and content creators to ensure that federal websites and digital products meet the revised 508 standards. Agi has been teaching section 508 accessibility courses for government agencies and private businesses for more than 10 years. Most accessibility standards are moving toward wcag 2. Convey information by adding a noncolor method to the legend or providing. This section provides references and guidance toward accomplishing that goal. Section 508 addresses every aspect of electronic documents, from tagging content and animated displays to ttys and usability of keys and controls. Special rules with respect to section 501c3 organizations i. The new rules includes standards for section 508 as well as guidelines for telecommunications under section 255 of the communications act of 1934, as amended by the telecommunications act of 1996. Gain practical techniques for creating and updating accessible websites. Acrobat will then draw lines based on the current tagging to give a visual. Given the broad scope of this law and its pervasive.
This applies to web applications, web pages and all attached files on the intranet, as well as, the internet. Section 508 guide tagging pdfs in adobe acrobat pro. Determination under section 860e4 by a qualified investment entity. Access boards new rules that updates accessibility requirements for information and communication technology ict in the federal sector covered by section 508 of. Under section 508, agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information comparable to the access available to others. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended the act requires that individuals with disabilities, who are federal employees or members of the public seeking information or services from a federal agency, be provided access to and use. Section 508 covers technology procured by a federal agency under contract with a private entity or produced within the agency itself. The checklist below is outofdate and should not be used. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act requires that federal agencies electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities. The checklist from section a forward is based on the wcag 2. This guide recaps relevant web content accessibility guidelines wcag requirements and calls out specific considerations for content, design, and development. For more information about how federal employees and the public can access resources for understanding and implementing the requirements of section 508, visit gsas section 508 website.
About the section 508 standards united states access board. Access board published a final rule updating accessibility requirements for information and communication technology ict covered by section 508 of the rehabilitation act and section 255 of the communications act. Note, much of this guidance predates the revised 508 standards. How to create accessible portable document format pdf documents that conform to the revised 508 standards. This issue is a violation of section 508 and wcag 2. Federal agencies are required to comply with the revised standards as of january 18, 2018. Current section 508 compliance requirements cover all electronic information including, but not limited to, electronic deliverables procured from outside contractors and vendors. Clarify expectations include accessibility requirements in any documents that outline the terms. There are separate application and administration and scoping requirements sections for 508 and 255, but the rest is shared. Our team of experts works every day on identifying issues. The scope of this guide is to provide an overview to assist users, who have a basic knowledge of. A development, procurement, maintenance, or use of electronic and information technology. Federal laws, including section 508 of the rehabilitation act, mandate that people with disabilities have access to the same information that someone without a disability would have.
Provides guidance based on features and functionality. Nearly everyone plays a role in carrying out section 508. The resources in this section were developed by federal agencies, and shared here for your convenience. Under section 508, agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable to access available to others. Conformance to requirements for softwareauthoring tools requirement in the revised 508 standards. Some of the key commands that may help a new jaws user navigate pdf. There is an extensive list of requirements for section 508 compliant pdf documents.
Hud policy on section 508 of the rehabilitation act and. Although it may sound arduous or downright scary to learn, the fact of the matter is it simply requires steady adherence to compliance rules, many of which are. The 508 universe is the place to find specific section 508 training and information resources the section 508 universe includes training on designing accessible websites, buying. Nov 12, 20 if you acquire a client thats looking for accessible pdf files or needs to redesign their website so it meets section 508 requirements, try not to be too intimidated or turnedoff. The purpose of this document is to ensure cms compliance with federal requirements relative to any purchase of electronic and information technology eit. Section 508 amendment to the rehabilitation act of 1973. The revised section 508 standards were published in the federal register on january 18, 2017. Section 508 standards were developed by the access board, a federal agency, as required by section 508 of the rehabilitation act as amended in 1998. Dhs section 508 compliance test processes homeland security. Except as otherwise permitted or required by this subchapter, a covered entity may not use or. A beginners guide to section 508 and accessibility compliance. Structure the document correctly in your authoring software and be sure to.
The office of the chief information officer ocio is responsible for hhs section 508 compliance. Section 508 background and standards va section 508 office. The united states access board discusses its responsibility for developing accessibility standards for eit to incorporate into regulations that govern federal procurement practices. Tutorials are written to assist web authors in meeting section 508 requirements. If you acquire a client thats looking for accessible pdf files or needs to redesign their website so it meets section 508 requirements, try not to be too intimidated or turnedoff. In addition to section 508 requirements, hhs has policies, standards, and requirements for electronic documents that include but are not limited to the following. Section 508 is a 1998 amendment to the rehabilitation act of 1973 that establishes federal accessibility guidelines for electronic and information technology. Structure the document correctly in your authoring software and be sure to make tags when creating the pdf, then check the resulting file for compliance or. Ensure that agencies and staff offices within usda i m ple m ent and adhere to all section 508 standards, regulations, policies, plans, processes, and proced u res for all rel e vant work acti v ities.
All electronic communication and documentation created by cms employees and contractors must be 508 compliant. The federal government increasingly relies on technology to carry out its business and deliver information to. This document must be completed by the requesting official purchase requestor and provided to the. Simulated file save dialog offering section 508, wcag 2. They contain technical criteria specific to various types of technologies and performancebased requirements which focus on functional capabilities of covered products. This includes, but is not limited to, the following. A pdfua file can also be a pdfa file, offering a single approach to address. Regardless of whether or not federal regulations apply to your website, designing for all users is a best practice, and. Tagging a pdf can be tedious and requires acrobat pro or expensive thirdparty software. Pdfua clarifies and simplifies the pdfspecific technical requirements to meet wcag 2. Oct 08, 2019 section 508 of the rehabilitation act 29 u. Section 508 requires that all website content be accessible to people with disabilities. Having a wellstructured source file does not necessarily translate into an.
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