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Section 508 and NASA Session 1: What is Section 508?

Learn about Section 508, a law that requires federal agencies to provide accessible electronic and information technology (EIT) for individuals with disabilities. This training covers the overview, importance, and implementation of Section 508, as well as best practices for creating accessible documents, websites, and software.

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Section 508 and NASA Session 1: What is Section 508?

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  1. Section 508 and NASASession 1:What is Section 508? Antonio HaileSelassie Presentation to Ames Research Center November 2011

  2. Today’s Training • Session 1: What is Section 508? • Overview of Law and Policy • Why is Section 508 Important? • Demonstration of Section 508 in action. • Session 2: Electronic Content/Documents • Best Practices • Demonstration on Accessible Word Documents and conversion to PDF • Session 3: Web and Internet • Overview and Review of Technical Standards • Demonstration of Website • Session 4: Software • Overview and In-depth Review of Technical Standards. • Discussion

  3. What Is Section 508? • In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to include Section 508, which provides people with disabilities opportunities to gain meaningful employment with the Federal government and to reflect the focus on technology.

  4. Section 508 Requires that... • Federal employees with disabilities, and members of the public with disabilities seeking information or services, have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use by persons who are not individuals with disabilities

  5. Scope of Section 508 • From a technology point of view, Section 508 includes just about everything. • Includes software, computers, telecommunications products (e.g., telephones, VOIP), information kiosks and transaction machines, web sites, multimedia, copiers, fax machines, lab equipment with embedded IT, calculators, etc.

  6. NASA 508 Policy (NPR 2800.2) • The Policy establishes procedural requirements for providing accessible Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) with special emphasis on implementation of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Section 508 requires Federal agencies' electronic and information technology be accessible to individuals with disabilities. This policy is meant to aid in the understanding of Section 508 and assign responsibility to key stakeholders in order to achieve and maintain compliance.

  7. NASA 508 Policy Applicability • The NPR is applicable to NASA Headquarters and NASA Centers, including Component Facilities and employees. It applies to EIT acquired, developed, and maintained by or for NASA for use by NASA employees, employees of other Federal agencies, and the public on or after June 25, 2001. • The document does not apply to EIT acquired, developed, or maintained by contractors solely to be used by contractors in developing products or services for NASA and which has not been procured under Government contract.

  8. Technical Standards • United States Access Board published Technical Standards on December 21, 2000 • Software applications and operating systems • Web-based intranet and internet information and applications • Telecommunications products • Video and multimedia products • Self contained, closed products • Desktop and portable computers

  9. Exceptions? • Certain systems related to national security and national defense • EIT acquired by a contractor incidental to a contract • Making accessible would cause a “fundamental alteration” to a product or the agency’s needs (i.e. highly specialized IT) • Commercial Non-Availability • Products located in spaces frequented only by service personnel for maintenance, repair, or occasional monitoring of equipment • Usually a phone closet size facility. Data centers do not fall in this category

  10. What About Undue Burden? • Defined as “significant difficulty or expense” • For Section 508, must consider all agency resources available to the relevant program or component • Rarely, if ever, invoked and requires approval of Center legal counsel and the Agency Chief Information Officer.

  11. Why Section 508? • More than 50 million Americans report some level of disability.1 • Compared with an 88% employment level for people with no reported disability, people ages 21 to 64 with a disability were at a 56 % employment level and those with a severe disability status were at a 42% level.1 • 16.6 million Americans with disabilities use special equipment, aids, or assistive technology2. • U.S. Census, 2006 • National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research, 2001

  12. Examples of Disabilities • Visual • Blindness, weak vision, tunnel vision, dimness, extreme near/far-sightedness, color blindness • Auditory • Deafness, hard of hearing, high/low frequency, progressive hearing loss • Mobility or Tactile • Repetitive stress injuries (RSI), arthritis, stroke, spinal cord injuries, ALS, loss of anatomical parts (eyes, limbs, digits) • Cognitive • Memory deficiency, attention disorders, linguistic and verbal comprehension, math comprehension, visual comprehension, autism, ALS, stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis

  13. Assistive Technologies • Visual • Screen reading software, screen magnification, refreshable Braille displays, voice recognition software. • Auditory • Textual captioning, visual cues, hearing aids, cochlear implants. • Mobility or Tactile • Alternative and adaptive keyboards and mice, breath controlled devices, head pointing/tracking devices, on screen keyboards and mouse emulation programs, voice input/recognition software. • Cognitive • Alternative and augmentative communication devices, alternative and adaptive keyboards and mice, voice recognition software, screen reading software.

  14. Technical Standards • Access Board published Technical Standards on December 21, 2000 • Software applications and operating systems • Web-based intranet and internet information and applications • Telecommunications products • Video and multimedia products • Self contained, closed products • Desktop and portable computers

  15. Standards: Software • Software applications and operating systems requires: • (a) Executing Function from Keyboard • (b) Accessibility Features • (c) Input Focus • (d) User Interface Element • (e) Bitmap Images • (f) Textual Information • (g) User Selected Attributes • (h) Animation • (i) Color Coding • (j) Color and Contrast Settings • (k) Flashing or Blinking Text • (l) Electronic Forms

  16. Standards: Web/Internet • Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications (1194.22): • (a) Text Tags • (b) Multimedia Presentations • (c) Color • (d) Readability • (e) Server-Side Image Maps • (f) Client-Side Image Maps • (g)&(h) Data Table • (i) Frames • (j) Flicker Rate • (k) Text-Only Alternative • (l) Scripts • (m) Applets and Plug-Ins • (n) Electronic Forms • (o) Navigation Links • (p) Time Delays

  17. Standards: Telecommunications • Telecommunications Products (1194.23) • (a) TTY Connection/Microphones • (b) TTY Signal Protocols • (c) Interactive Voice Response Systems • (d) Time Interval Alerts • (e) Caller ID and Similar Functions • (f) Volume Control • (g) Automatic Volume Level Reset • (h) Hearing Aid Compatibility • (i) Minimized Interference • (j) Transmitting/Conducting Information • (k) Controls and Keys 

  18. Standards: Multimedia • Video and Multimedia Products (1194.24): • (a) Caption Decoder Circuitry • (b) Audio Description Circuitry • (c) & (d) Video and Multimedia Productions • (e) User-Select Feature

  19. Standards: Closed Products • Self Contained, Closed Products (1194.25): • (a) Usability • (b) Timed Responses • (c) Touchscreens and Controls • (d) Biometric Forms/ User ID • (e) Auditory Output • (f) Volume Control • (g) Color Coding • (h) Color and Contrast Settings • (i) Screen Flicker • (j) Operable Controls

  20. Standards: Computers • Desktop and Portable Computers (1194.26): • (a) Controls and Keys • (b) Touchscreens and controls • (c) Biometric User ID • (d) Connection Points

  21. Standards: Subpart C • Functional Performance Criteria § 1194.31   • (a) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user vision shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people who are blind or visually impaired shall be provided. • (b) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require visual acuity greater than 20/70 shall be provided in audio and enlarged print output working together or independently, or support for assistive technology used by people who are visually impaired shall be provided. • (c) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user hearing shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing shall be provided.

  22. Standards: Subpart C • Functional Performance Criteria § 1194.31  (con’t) • (d) Where audio information is important for the use of a product, at least one mode of operation and information retrieval shall be provided in an enhanced auditory fashion, or support for assistive hearing devices shall be provided. • (e) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user speech shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people with disabilities shall be provided. • (f) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require fine motor control or simultaneous actions and that is operable with limited reach and strength shall be provided.

  23. Standards: Subpart D • § 1194.41   Information, documentation, and support. • (a) Product support documentation provided to end-users shall be made available in alternate formats upon request, at no additional charge. • (b) End-users shall have access to a description of the accessibility and compatibility features of products in alternate formats or alternate methods upon request, at no additional charge. • (c) Support services for products shall accommodate the communication needs of end-users with disabilities.

  24. Demo: Why Section 508 makes a difference!

  25. Tools • NASA-STD-2804 • Screen Reading Software • Windows/PC - JAWS 8.x or higher, Window Eyes 6.x or higher • Mac OS X – VoiceOver • Desktop Automated Software • Windows/PC - HiSoftwareACCVerify, DeQue Ramp • Mac OS x - Deque Ramp • PDF Documents • Adobe Acrobat 8.x or higher • NetCentric Technologies CommonLook Plug-in for Acrobat

  26. Tools • Other useful tools: • Web • Firefox- Wave add-on • Firefox Web Developer Toolbar • Internet Explorer Accessibility Toolbar • Software • UI Accessibility Checker- http://acccheck.codeplex.com/ • PDF Documents • Adobe Acrobat 8.x or higher- • NetCentric Technologies CommonLook Plug-in for Acrobat

  27. Resources • www.section508.nasa.gov • General and NASA-specific information and resources • NASA virtual Section 508 help desk • section508help@nasa.gov • Available to NASA employees and contractors • www.section508.gov • GSA site: general information, training, lots of relevant links (law, standards, etc.) • www.access-board.gov/508.htm • Access Board developed standards. Good links.

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