| Home |
 |
This chapter contains an overview of the law, its essential rationale, and brief explanations of the design of EIT with the use of assistive technology to support the needs of people with disabilities.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 says that federal agencies, federally funded programs and services, and federal contractors cannot discriminate based on disabilities, and that federal agency electronic and information technology (EIT) cannot discriminate in its availability and use based on disabilities.
Briefly stated, Section 508 is a law about technology. It says we must make sure our information and data are accessible to all people, specifically people with disabilities.
Generally, Section 508 says that any agency, including the Postal Service, must do the following:
a. Buy, build, and maintain EIT so that information and data are accessible to their employees who have disabilities in a way that is comparable to the access and use provided to employees without disabilities.
b. Ensure that access to information and data by Postal customers with disabilities is comparable to that provided to people without disabilities.
The provisions of Section 508 focus on making EIT accessible to people with different disabilities. Specifically, the standards describe the use of information with the disabilities of vision, hearing, and mobility.
To enable the use of information by people with disabilities, Section 508 identifies six classes of information technology (refer to chapters 5-11) and defines specific and functional requirements that enable people to interact with these technologies. For example, when using a word processor, people without disabilities can use a mouse to highlight text, cut the text from its original position, and paste it into another location. An accessible Section 508-compliant word processor would support the same functions without any use of the mouse. As another example, when using a website, people without disabilities identify a hyperlink, and then use a mouse to click on the link to move to another page. A Web site designed with accessibility in mind would support the same functions without any use of the mouse.
In the absence of clear requirements that specify how accessibility can be achieved, technology has often been designed so that only able-bodied people could use it. Just as a multi-level building without stairs can exclude people with mobility impairments, information technology can be a barrier too. A display of information presented in graphical form without a text equivalent is not usable by people with significant visual impairments. A video without captioning bars a deaf person from understanding the message. A copier with operational controls in the back denies a person in a wheelchair full access.
Section 508 defines technical standards for six classes of technology: software applications and operating systems, Web-based intranet and internet information and applications, telecommunications products, video and multimedia products, self-contained, closed products, and desktop and portable computers. To insure that adherence results in functional access by people with disabilities, the law also specifies performance criteria.
The law addresses both simple technologies and complex solutions. Complex systems often include components from more than one class of technology; each individual component within its class must meet its specific standard.
For example, in a bank ATM (a self-contained, closed product), where the output of the machine is displayed on a screen, an alternate format for the information is speech. Reasonable accommodation for visually impaired and blind users includes a headphone jack on the front of the ATM where the output can be heard. The instructions for use of the machine are also available in the audio format. Although headphones (a form of assistive technology for a visually impaired person) are not supplied by the bank, the bank has a responsibility to provide an alternate format for the information.
In a desktop computer environment the potential information displays are limitless. Therefore, the provisions of the law do not require recorded speech for each screen element - rather, what is needed is a standard (software applications and operating systems) that allows assistive technology software to access the text (or a text equivalent) of each screen element and present synthetic speech as an audio format.
In both examples, the goal is the same: access to information by all. However, the techniques used are specific to the class of technology.
Assistive technology is used in the Postal Service desktop environment to help people with disabilities access computer systems and data or information. Examples include the following:
a. A screen reader that converts text to speech.
b. A screen magnifier that enlarges the screen display.
c. Speech-to-text software that converts speech to text or software commands.
d. Keyboard alternatives such as split or natural keyboards.
e. Shortcut keys for all mouse actions.
These types of technology are used to accommodate employees. They are also used to verify that desktop software and websites are accessible. Section 508 does not require the Postal Service or other government agencies to provide assistive technology to the general public but must provide accessible information and data. Federal agencies and the Postal Service must provide employees with assistive technologies necessary to perform their work.
The Postal Service standard assistive technologies are listed in the Infrastructure Tool Kit (ITK) at http://itk. This list is evolving and will expand as needed. The current ITK assistive technology includes:
a. Screen Reader Software
JAWS for Windows 98/95, NT, and Windows 2000
(http://www.freedomscientific.com/)
b. Screen Magnification Software
MAGic for Windows 98/95, NT, and Windows 2000
(http://www.freedomscientific.com/)
c. Speech-to-Text Software
Dragon NaturallySpeaking for Windows 98/95, NT, and Windows 2000
(http://www.scansoft.com/naturallyspeaking/)
d. Middleware for Speech to Text and
Screen Reader Software
JawBone for Windows 98/95, NT, and Windows 2000
(http://www.ngtvoice.com/)
This standardized software allows the Postal Service to determine compliance with the functional performance criteria and allows testing technical compliance using tools approved for use in the postal computing environment.
Three overarching concepts that should always be considered when applying Section 508.
When functions span technical standards (e.g., a Java application launched from a Web browser), the provisions for keyboard access, color, etc. must be as consistent as possible. Since a Java application is software, the provisions of two standards (Software Applications and Operating Systems, Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications) apply. Both usability and accessibility are best achieved when user interfaces follow best practices in a consistent manner.
For some software products, specifically development environments (e.g., Dreamweaver for websites or Eclipse as a Java development environment), there are two separate issues:
a. Accessibility of the tool itself.
b. Accessibility of the output that the tool generates.
For some high-end, complex tools, usage in the authoring mode may not be fully compliant, and a legitimate exception may be made. For the output of all tools (text files, HTML pages, Java applications), accessibility is mandatory.
For more complex EIT solutions, Section 508 includes the following techniques to use to achieve compliance:
a. Assistive technology. The use of equipment or systems, which normally reside on the user's desktop, to present text and data in a manner suitable to someone with a disability. (See section 3-3, above.)
b. Alternate formats. The use of formats such as Braille, ASCII text, audio, which can be used by people with disabilities.
Compliance is defined as meeting the requirements set forth in the Section 508 Technical Standards and Functional Performance Criteria. Proposed EIT solutions may fully comply, best meet, or not comply, as defined below:
a. Fully complies. An EIT product is fully compliant if the text or data it provides is accessible and usable by a person with disabilities in the manner the law requires, and meets the Section 508 EIT Technical Standards and functional performance criteria. Such compliance may or may not be enabled by the use of assistive technology or alternate formats or methods. EIT built by the Postal Service should be fully compliant.
b. Best meets compliance. Best meets applies only to EIT products that the Postal Service purchases. A product best meets compliance requirements when it does not meet all relevant standards but is the most compliant product available at the time of purchase. In that event, the organization purchasing the product would do the following:
(1) Document the market research used to determine the appropriateness of the product to meet business requirements.
(2) Define the exception(s).
(3) Document that the best overall choice has been made at the present time.
c. Does not comply. A product does not comply if it cannot achieve compliance as defined by the relevant Section 508 Technical Standards or Functional Performance Criteria.
Note: Upgrades or events may require reevaluation at which time an alternative and more compliant product might be available. See chapter 4 for guidance on how to document an exception or an undue burden.