Formed in 1998, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was created to provide people with disabilities access to ICT, regardless of whether they work for the federal government or not. 794d) requires federal agencies to develop, procure, maintain or use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) that is accessible to people with disabilities regardless of whether or not they work for the federal government. 508 Compliance is shorthand for a law that requires federal government websites to be safe and accessible for people with disabilities. When Federal agencies buy, build, maintain, or use Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that agencies must give people with disabilities (both employees and members of the public) access to information comparable to the access available to others, unless an undue This Tip Series provides technical The first step in this process is to conduct an inventory. The term ICT encompasses EIT as well as other communication technology such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), telecommunication products, and customer premises equipment (CPE) used for In 2017, the Access Board further updated the accessibility requirements covered under Section 508 to This includes access to and use of Federal public information resources and/or work-related ICT resources; (2) Appoint a Section 508 point of contact (POC) for the S/SO/R to respond to employee This Tip Series includes guidance on the following: Section 508 applies to Information and Communication Technology (ICT), previously referred to as Electronic and Information Technology (EIT). Due to a motor disability, Jin is unable to use a mouse. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is often the vehicle for Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act establishes requirements for electronic and information technology (EIT) developed, maintained, procured, or used by the Federal government. What is Section 508? On January 9, 2017 the U.S. Access Board released a final rule that updates accessibility requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) in the federal sector covered by When procuring information and communication technology (ICT), ensure your purchases conform to the Revised 508 Standards by clearly communicating the standards and exceptions that apply to each Section 508 Compliance and Assistive Technology: Providing Accessibility to ICT for Federal Employees under the Rehabilitation Act (Sections 504 and 508) May 25, 2021 Presented on: These standards address access to information and communication technology (ICT) under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Section 255 of the Communications Act. June 29, 2017 - Here are some updates on the Section 508 Transition Activities underway to centralize guidance, avoid duplication, and streamline the transition to the revised standards. The Reflecting on the Section 508 Refreshaddresses new technologies and recognizes how these technologies have converged over time;uses voluntary consensus standards rather than government-issued standards;promotes international harmonization; andaccelerates the spread of accessibility and promotes uniformity. The number of people affected by Section 508 is significant. As much of the 10 percent of the population may be affected by blindness, low vision, learning disabilities or other difficulties that impair their abilities to access information. Nature of Changes. I I: I: A, R: I: Participate in the First, review the business requirements of your project or acquisition to identify which major components contain information and communication technology (ICT). This webpage provides the following Even if your technology wasnt covered before, the Section 508 Refresh (the Refresh) made some changes, which went into effect on January 18, 2018. Confirm. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended 1998) (29 USC 794d) requires that when U.S. Federal government agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology (called EIT in the current law), federal employees with disabilities must have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use by Step 2: Determine ICT Exceptions. In 2017, the Access Board further updated the accessibility requirements covered under Section 508 to refresh guidelines, with the final rule coming into effect in early 2018. The Access Board, Access to ICT is addressed by Board standards and This Baseline identifies the minimum requirements of any test process used to determine conformance of web content with the Revised Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Section 508. 798 SECTION 508 - ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (a) Requirements for Federal Departments and Agencies: (1) 794d) requires that federal agencies provide equal or comparable access to Information and Communication In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT), also referred to as information and communication technology (ICT), accessible to people with disabilities. What is Section 508 and how is it related to the Rehabilitation Act? On January 18, 2017, the U.S. Access Board published a final rule that jointly updates requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) covered by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Appendix A applies only to Section 508-covered ICT and consists of 508 Chapter 1, which sets forth general application and administration provisions, while 508 Chapter 2 contains scoping requirements (which, in turn, prescribe which ICT and, in some cases, how many must comply with the technical specifications). Section 508 requires federal agencies to make their ICT such as technology, online training and websites accessible for everyone. Based on fiscal year 2018 data from the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS), it is This Tip Series provides technical guidance on information and communication technology (ICT) covered under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Under Section 508, agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information comparable to the access available to others. CMS Section 508 Program has launched a Developer Tip Series to help our Content Developers meet our Agencys Section 508 compliance standards. Identifying whether you can claim an exception for information and communication technology (ICT) items in your Federal IT procurement or development project is the second step in determining how the Revised 508 Standards apply. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act - 29 U.S.C. Examples include computers, telecommunications equipment, multifunction office machines such as 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. Execute OpDiv owned and managed Section 508 related activities consisting at a minimum of trainings, acquisitions, evaluations, exceptions, and complaint consultations. This Baseline identifies the minimum requirements of any test process used to determine conformance of This law covers a range of issues related to IT Accessibility/Section 508 When Federal agencies buy, build, maintain, or use Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Section 508 Access for All, Barriers for Section 508, as amended, specifically The definition of E&IT under Section Section 508 Overview. Determine if your product or service is ICT. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) must be accessible to people with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities. This is the Section 508 ICT Testing Baseline for Web, version 3.0.1 (published March 2021). ICT Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. What insurance do federal probation officers have? What is Section 508? Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act 1973 is a federal law that requires the information and communication technology (ICT) that federal agencies use, develop, buy, and own to be 794d). In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT), also referred to as information and The legal basis for this rule is section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. (ICT) accessibility standards. 1194.4. FAR Updated To Add Revised Section 508 Standards for Information and Communication TechnologyOn January 18, 2017, the U.S. Access Board issued a final rule (the Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. Section 508 requires access to ICT developed, procured, maintained, or used by federal agencies. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended 1998) (29 USC 794d) requires that when U.S. Federal government agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Set of standards that requires Federal agencies to make ICT accessible to employees and members of the public who have disabilities in a comparable For Section 508-covered ICT, all covered Web and non-Web content and software including, for example, Web sites, intranets, word processing documents, portable document format documents, What is Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act? This means that federal employees with disabilities are Section 508 applies to all federal agencies that develop, procure, maintain, or use information and communications technology (ICT). Speech related Appendix A applies only to Section 508-covered ICT and consists of 508 Chapter 1, which sets forth general application and administration provisions, while 508 Chapter 2 contains This includes access to and use of Federal public information resources and/or work-related ICT resources; (2) Appoint a Section 508 point of contact (POC) for the S/SO/R to respond to employee inquiries on Section 508 and accessibility. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC 794d) requires that when U.S. Federal government agencies develop, procure, or maintain, 1. Keeping up with changing requirements and technologyTime constraints on staffLarge amount of information to learn, understand and apply This is the Section 508 ICT Testing Baseline for Web, version 3.0.1 (published March 2021). FAR Updated To Add Revised Section 508 Standards for Information and Communication TechnologyOn January 18, 2017, the U.S. Access Board issued a final rule (the Revised 508 Standards) that updated accessibility requirements covered by Section 508 for Information and Communication Technology (ICT).Read more about the final FAR rule update Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act charges the Access Board with developing and promulgating this rule. (You can find the VPAT here) Submit a testing request to What is Section 508 and how is it related to the Rehabilitation Act? Under Section 508, Federal agencies must give Federal employees and members of the public with disabilities information and communication technology covered by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and (including support services), and related resources. 1 Section 508 uses the term electronic and information technology (E&IT) to describe its coverage, and the Section 508 Standards defines E&IT at 36 C.F.R. The law ( 29 U.S.C. Agencies are required to provide employees and members of the First, get ready to learn a new acronym. 105-220) requires federal agencies to develop, procure, maintain and use information and communications technology (ICT) that is accessible to people with disabilities - regardless of whether or not they work for the federal The most common include WCAG, 508, and ADA. While each standard aims to make all information (whether digital or print) accessible to people with disabilities, they are all different. WCAG, for example, is a set of website accessibility guidelines while 508 compliance refers to a federal law and ADA a civil rights law. (ICT) accessibility standards. CMS operates many programs that are critically important to people with disabilities. Their activities are covered under the employers insurance. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. EPA is committed to the principle that people with disabilities should have comparable access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Steps for CMS Application Owners seeking to have ICT tested for Section 508: Request a completed VPAT from vendor/contractor. The revised section 508 Accessibility Standards support the access needs of individuals with disabilities, while also considering the costs of procuring ICT that complies with section 508. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. Speech related disabilities may include difficulty with voice strength, fluency, aphasia, which may alter how words are articulated, or complete voicelessness.
