In addition to section 508, the rehabilitation act of 1973 has several other sections section 501 and 505 prohibits federal employers from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities. Jun 26, 20 section 508 requirements that apply to media. The exceptions have been revised, as have the functional performance criteria. The checklist below, a series of tables, is based on the content of the pdf. Collectively, for purposes of this policy, the section 508 standards developed by the u. On january 18, 2017, the access board published a final rule that jointly updates the requirements for information and communication technology ict covered by section 508 of the rehabilitation act and section 255 of the communication act. The checklist below is outofdate and should not be used. Refer to the following resources for assistance in creating 508 compliant documentation. For anyone new to section 508 requirements, creating accessible electronic documents can be a daunting task. This section provides references and guidance toward accomplishing that goal. The us access board established the section 508 standards that implement the law and provides the requirements for accessibility. Using practical examples, this course explains how section 508 requirements apply to micropurchases of hardware, software, and other ict.
Anytime you are preparing an electronic document that will be posted online or distributed via email, whether its an internal document or an external document, you need to follow the section 508 guidelines. The coordinators provide consultation and information. Pdfs are required by law to meet section 508 accessibility requirements. The rule is slated to go into effect in march, 2018, and references wcag 2. The checklist includes compliance with section 508, in addition to other hhs requirements. Dec 21, 2000 section 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. Making multimedia section 508 compliant and accessible. This applies to web applications, web pages and all attached files on the intranet, as well as, the internet. Four page guide to section 508 rules and regulations.
Section 508 standards section 508 compliant document. Section 508 established non binding guidelines for it accessibility. When developing, procuring, maintaining, or using electronic and information technology, each federal department or. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 29 usc 794d requires that when u. The transition from the original 508 standards to the revised 508 standards was an opportunity for agencies to revisit and update their section 508, 501, and 504 policies. How to test and remediate pdfs for accessibility using adobe acrobat dc. About the section 508 standards united states access board. The section 508 standards developed by the access board establish the minimum levels of compliance required. A beginners guide to section 508 and accessibility compliance. They contain technical criteria specific to various types of technologies and performancebased requirements which focus on functional capabilities of covered products.
These amendments significantly expanded and strengthened the it accessibility requirements in section 508 and made them. Ensuring that technology will be accessible is often the most effective and least costly way to comply with section 501, mandating affirmative action in employment practices for people with disabilities, and. The original section 508 amendment was added to the rehabilitation act back in 1986. Irs section 508 compliant pdf forms internal revenue service. United states department of agriculture agricultural marketing service directive 3. These checklists will help you ensure compliance with the guidelines. Ssas guide to applying section 508 standards introduction. The standards, which have been in place for over 15 years, promote ict that can be accessed by the public and employees with disabilities. Html is preferred for accessibility, especially for documents less than 5 pages. Closed captioning and web accessibility requirements 2. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act level access. The 508 coordinators work with the epa offices to implement epas section 508 program on behalf of the chief information officer cio and section 508 executive council.
Occasionally, a pdf may not meet those requirements e. Keep reading to learn more about section 508 and accessibility compliance. The section 508 standards are part of the federal acquisition regulation far and address access for people with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities. Make the pdf content accessible and web ready before posting.
How to make your excel 20 workbooks 508 compliant pdf how to. In addition to section 508 requirements, hhs has policies, standards, and requirements for electronic documents that include but arent limited to the following. About the section 508 standards section 508 standards section 508 standards. The below checklists are the official hhs accessibility checklists. New location for the section 508 micro purchase training. May 26, 2017 any and all digital communications that a company under section 508 jurisdiction creates must be 508 compliant.
Documents distributed via email includes broadcast messages and any attachments. Department of education is committed to making its electronic and information technologies accessible to individuals with disabilities by meeting or exceeding the requirements of section 508 of the rehabilitation act 29 u. Accessibility at penn state section 508 summary requirements. The standards for ict developed, procured, maintained, or used by agencies subject to section 508 of the rehabilitation act as set forth in 508 chapters 1 and 2 36 cfr part 1194, appendix a, and chapters 3 through 7 36 cfr part 1194, appendix c. Section 508 micro purchase training is now located on the federal acquisition institute training application system faitas. Section 508 standards do not apply to componentsinternal replacement parts to maintain any e it. Please visit other pages on the navigation pane to the right titled resources to view more information about accessibility and obtaining conformance with section 508. On august 7, 1998, the president signed into law the workforce investment act of 1998, which included amendments to the rehabilitation act. Hud policy on section 508 of the rehabilitation act and. These pdf forms are fully accessible but there is no computation, validation, or verification of the information you enter. Published in the federal register on december 21, 2000. Hhs web accessibility standards these standards for pdf and html forms, email, html tables, skip navigation, etc. When linking to a pdf, follow the pdf linking standard.
All the existing 508 requirements have been revised. The purpose of this document is to give vendors a significant and meaningful example of the features which ssa tests for in evaluating products for section 508 compliance. If youve heard the terms section 508 or 508 compliance and wondered what they mean, youre not alone. If no is answered to any item, then the document is not 508 compliant. The checklist from section a forward is based on the wcag 2. Please view these video tutorials on creating 508 compliant documents.
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. It is important to understand section 508 in the context of other laws related to federal disability policy. Hhs document accessibility checklists these checklists for word, excel, powerpoint, multimedia, pdf and html documents should be used by hhs staff to verify that their documents meet the requirements established by hhs. A valid authorization is a document that meets the requirements in paragraphs a3. For more information contact a cms 508 clearance officer see below. You may need a pdf reader to view some of the files on this page. Chances are sooner or later youre going to be assigned a project requiring 508 compliant accessibility standards. Oaa secti on 508 standards check list and assessment. The following provides the section 508 requirements for electronic content found in chapter 2 of the scoping requirements. The forms on this page are provided in adobe acrobat portable document format.
If this procurement is for components internal replacement parts, complete the following and sign this form on the second page. The purpose of this part is to implement section 508. While section 508 applies principally to the federal governments development, procurement, maintenance, and use of eit, in order for hud to use or rely on eit developed by third parties, hud requires its contractors and grantees to comply with section 508 requirements through procurement and grant requirements. Making documents section 508 compliant all electronic communication and documentation created by cms employees and contractors must be 508 compliant. Feb 19, 2019 the checklist includes compliance with section 508, in addition to other hhs requirements. This includes, but is not limited to, the following. Additional information on section 508 can be found at the websites for the u. All electronic communication and documentation created by cms employees and contractors must be 508 compliant. Section 508, and its implementing regulation, is not the only law affecting huds obligation to ensure that ict is accessible. Purpose this directive provides policy and guidelines for the agricultural marketing service ams to ensure compliance with section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended. Current section 508 compliance requirements cover all electronic information including, but not limited to, electronic deliverables procured from outside contractors and vendors.
How to create accessible portable document format pdf documents that conform to the revised 508 standards. Pdf baseline test process ms word, september 2017 pdf detailed checklist ms word, september 2017. Electronic and information technology a requirements for federal departments and agencies 1 accessibility a development, procurement, maintenance, or use of electronic and information technology when developing, procuring, maintaining, or using electronic and information technology, each federal department or agency, including the united states postal service, shall ensure. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended 29 u. The resources in this section were developed by federal agencies and shared here for your convenience. Making documents section 508 compliant cms main navigation. Content should be created in html or pdf, not both. Acrobat tools make it easy to create accessible pdfs and check the accessibility of existing pdfs. Sample and bestinpractice accessibility statements can be found at. In addition to section 508 requirements, hhs has policies, standards, and requirements for electronic documents that include but are not limited to the following. You can create pdfs to meet common accessibility standards, such as web content accessibility guidelines wcag 2. This page has information about the section 508 law, and the va section 508 office. Uses and disclosures for which an authorization is required. A development, procurement, maintenance, or use of electronic and information technology.
This includes website content, emails, computer software, gaming systems, apps, and pdf versions of traditionally printed assets. Hhs section 508 accessibility checklists the below checklists are the official hhs accessibility checklists. Policies on how your agency implements each section of the rehabilitation act should be closely aligned, to clarify responsibilities and determine how to respond to claims of. Section 503 prohibits employment discrimination based on disability by federal. Aspadcd general office document file 508 checklist. May 06, 2019 making files accessible the checklists are the official hhs accessibility checklists.
The resources in this section were developed by the accessible electronic documents community of practice aed cop. Aspadcd general office document file 508 checklist hhs. Section 508, and its implementing regulation, is not the only law. Section 508 ssa requirements and testing guidelines introduction. The office of the chief information officer ocio is responsible for hhs section 508 compliance. Welcome to the w3cs section 508 and uaag requirements. The section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended 29 u.
Micropurchases and section 508 requirements how to make micropurchases that conform with the revised 508 standards. Procuring section 508 conformant ict products and services basic overview of the federal acquisition process with regard to procuring ict products and services that are section 508 conformant. All federal employees who are purchase card holders and are responsible for procuring ict must be aware of their responsibilities regarding. Note, much of this guidance predates the revised 508 standards. Access board, the general services administration, and the u. The sixyear process of updating these requirements constitutes the first refresh since section 508 was created in 1998. The standards do not apply because this requisition either.
Any time you are preparing an electronic document that will be posted online or distributed via email, whether its an internal document or an external document, you need to follow the section 508 guidelines. In rare cases like this, the pdf can be accompanied by contact information for users in need of accommodation. Section 508 the rehabilitation act of 1973 includes the section 508 amendments which are the technical standards that apply to us government procurement and development. The following test processes are used by dhs to validate section 508 conformance claims. Ensure 508 compliance with an accessibility strategy.
It is also used to freeze or lock content that should remain intact. Conformance to requirements for softwareauthoring tools requirement in the revised 508 standards. To make the most accessible products, know what section 508 requirements apply to your media. Section 508 requires federal agencies to make their ict such as technology, online training and websites accessible for everyone. There are new standards for electronic content, software, hardware and support services aligned with wcag 2. 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. As of january 2018, the technical requirements of section 508 have changed to incorporate wcag 2. Epa, like all federal agencies, is required to meet section 508 requirements.
Section 508 requires that all website content be accessible to people with disabilities. General subpart a the standards define the types of technology covered and set forth provisions that establish a minimum level of accessibility. Adobe has a builtin accessibility checker, which is located under the tools section. The section 508 standards are the technical requirements and criteria used to measure ict accessibility conformance within this law. Nov 12, 20 chances are sooner or later youre going to be assigned a project requiring 508 compliant accessibility standards. Additionally, the dod cio designates a dod section 508 coordinator to serve as the point of contact for implementation, and to represent dod on federalwide boards and committees to develop section 508 standards. A portable document format pdf is a file format created by adobe to create standard consistency when a document is physically printed from a standard printer. Making files accessible the checklists are the official hhs accessibility checklists. Section 508 scoping requirements for electronic content. Pdfs require 508 remediation as they are not accessible by screen readers. Below is a table summarizing section 508 requirements for federal government web sites.
Electronic content that is public facing shall conform to the. Section 508 coordinators serve as the epas point of contact for section 508 information. The following standards are excerpted from section 508 of the rehabilitation act, 1194. Section 508 requires that when federal agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology, federal employees with disabilities must have access to and use of information. Accessibility statement us department of education.
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