Federal Standard for Electronic and Information Technology

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1998 requires Federal departments and agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service, to comply with accessibility requirements when procuring, developing, using or maintaining electronic and information technology (E&IT), unless doing so causes an This article will discuss the development of the Section 508 Standard and its implications. THE LAW: SECTION 508 In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act and strengthened provisions covering access to information in the Federal sector. Section 508 requires access to the Federal government's electronic and information technology. The law covers all types of electronic and information technology in the Federal sector. It applies to all Federal agencies when they procure, develop, use or maintain such technology. Federal agencies must ensure that this technology is accessible to employees and the public to the extent that it does not pose an undue burden. The law directed the Access Board to develop accessibility requirements for this technology and for those the Section 508 Standard to become part of the Federal procurement regulations. The Access Board is an independent Federal agency devoted to accessible design for people with disabilities. On December 21, 2000, the Board issued accessibility requirements for electronic and information technology under Section 508. The Board also develops and maintains accessibility guidelines for the built environment, transit vehicles and telecommunications products under other laws, and enforces design standards for federally funded facilities. Presented here is an overview of the new Section 508 Standard. The Access Board drew from its experience, in developing and maintaining design guidelines for the Americans with Disabilities Act and design standards for the Architectural Barriers Act. It also incorporated into the Section 508 Standard many guidelines that the Board developed for accessible telecommunications products and services under Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The scope of section 508 is limited to the Federal sector. It does not apply to the private sector, nor does it generally impose requirements on recipients of Federal funds. DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDS Shortly after the law was enacted, the Access Board developed an advisory committee to develop recommendations on the requirements to be developed. In May 1999, the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Advisory Committee (EITAAC) completed its work and presented its recommendations to the Board. The committee consisted of 27 representatives from industry, various disability organizations and other groups with an interest in the issues to be addressed. On March 31, 2000, the Board published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking based closely on the Committee's report. The proposed requirements were available for public comment for 60 days through publication in the Federal Register. The Board sought information and comment on various issues through questions it posed in a discussion provided in the proposed rule. Over 100 individuals and organizations submitted comments on the proposed requirements. The comments were submitted by Federal agencies, representatives of the information technology industry, disability groups and persons with disabilities. The Board finalized its requirements in accordance with its review of the comments and published them in the Federal Register. The amended 508 Standard became part of the Federal Acquisition Regulations to help Federal agencies determine whether or not a technology product or system is accessible. The final 508 Standard can viewed at: http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/508standards.htm A summary of the standard can be read at: http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=11#general ENFORCEMENT AND EFFECTIVE DATE Section 508 uses the Federal procurement process to ensure that technology acquired by the Federal government is accessible. …