Section 508 software testing

Section 508 compliance testing 508 compliance website. A comprehensive checklist for testing section 508 compliance can be found at the hhs. Accessibility testing for websites and software web designers, developers, and content managers play a key role in ensuring websites and digital tools are accessible, and conform to the revised 508 standards and the w3c web content accessibility guidelines wcag 2. Home schedule section 508 questions and answers with the access board and gsa. Nov 29, 2016 even if you dont care about section 508 software compliance, you likely have responsibilities under the americans with disabilities act ada. Iterators is a trusted tester tt certified by the department of homeland security dhs and provides a code inspectionbased test approach for determining software and website conformance to the section 508 standards. Below is a list of each section 508 standard that is tested in each section. Jul 12, 2019 section 508 compliance testing checklist. But 508 covers all information technology and it is the only standard that does so. Section 508 software applications and operating systems 1194. Section 508 compliance approach for webbased applications. It is organized by categories to help you easily identify applicable requirements. Section 508 compliance testing is your organization.

In 1997, the federal electronic and information technology accessibility and compliance act was proposed in the u. This guide provides a list of the testing tools used in the dhs section 508 compliance test process for applications. This course is designed to enable students to install or coordinate the installation of the required software used for testing web sites and web applications for section 508 conformance, and to validate that the. They will address how the standards are used in the acquisition of information technology, interpretations of various provisions in the standards, how to validate conformance with section 508 and various types of testing tools, resources that are available to help users understand and implement section 508, and other topics. Any truly comprehensive testing plan must include both automated and manual testing, preferably including testers with.

Any and all digital communications that a company under section 508 jurisdiction creates must be 508 compliant. And some of these test cases are combined with assistive technology, such as screen reader, screen magnifier, etc. Hisoftware cynthia says portal is a web content accessibility validation solution. More details of that effort and outcome are available in the harmonized testing process for section 508 compliance. Trusted tester and ict testing baseline section508. 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. As technology makes inroads into newer domains and applications, making products accessible for one and all has become the need of the day. Computer software, hardware, and documentation are all covered by section 508. Note that the baseline is not a test process and does not include testing tools. Section 508 is the governing principle and it requires that all government information be accessible to disabled users.

Provide automated detection of accessibility issues. Previously, section 508 listed a specific set of accessibility requirements that agencies and schools were required to follow for compliance. We conduct all the applicable tests, then identify and suggest section 508 fixes for software applications and web content. Section 508 questions and answers with the access board and gsa. The section 508 website provides a dedicated page on section 508 compliance testing, including testing guidelines for websites, software, and electronic documents. Accessibility testing for websites and software section508.

Dhs section 508 compliance testing tools homeland security. Testing for web accessibility compliance under section 508. When states wanted to require accessible information technology, they turned to the section 508 accessibility standards to define accessibility. Provide technical guidance, tools and resources to assist with section 508 compliance throughout the agency. Section 508 application test process accessibility dc. Apply to tester, senior tester, section 508 testing sme and more. Testers who are familiar with the section 508 software and web standards and testing tools can use this as a quick reference while testing. Oct 08, 2019 section 508 requires that all website content be accessible to people with disabilities.

It applies to all electronic and information technology eit including software, web sites, web applications, and hardware applications such as computers, networks, peripherals, and other types of electronic. This law is broader than the rehab act and applies if you operate a business or nonprofit agency, or manage a state or local government department, and provide services to the general public. Section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended 29 u. Automated scanning tools cannot apply human subjectivity, and therefore either produce excessive false positives orwhen configured to eliminate false positives test for only a small portion of the requirements. National clearinghouse of rehabilitation training materials 2,505 views 1. Provide training to employees on the section 508 standards, and how to develop and buy accessible technology. Oct, 2016 this guide provides a list of the testing tools used in the dhs section 508 compliance test process for applications. Section 508 questions and answers with the access board. Take advantage of high volume automated 508 compliance scanning tools, but be aware of their limitations. To work toward compliance, we recommend incorporating accessibility testing into existing testing processes. As an option, we can apply the fixes to your software section 508 remediation in order to bring it into full compliance with the section 508 standard.

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. Technology is deemed to be accessible if it can be used as effectively by. Test for accessibility find an overview of testing methods and the tools to test websites, software, and electronic documents for conformance with the revised 508 standards. It is designed to identify errors in your content related to section 508 standards andor the wcag. Guide to the section 508 standards united states access.

Gsa 508 technical tools and resources free testing tools for 508 compliance. Section 508 compliance a quick guide by level access. Pdfs require 508 remediation as they are not accessible by screen readers. On december 21, 2000, the technical standards for implementing section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 as amended by the workforce investment act of 1998 were published in the federal register. May 26, 2017 any and all digital communications that a company under section 508 jurisdiction creates must be 508 compliant. This includes website content, emails, computer software, gaming systems, apps, and pdf versions of traditionally printed assets. Dec 21, 2000 the purpose of this part is to implement section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended 29 u. The first version of the harmonized baseline was developed in 2009 to establish consistency in section 508 conformance testing within the federal government. Oct 31, 2018 the section 508 website provides a dedicated page on section 508 compliance testing, including testing guidelines for websites, software, and electronic documents. This page has information about the section 508 law, and the va section 508 office. Guide to the section 508 standards subpart a general. Compare criterions premium section 508 compliance solutions to our competitors section 508 manual accessibility testing. The original section 508 dealt with electronic and information technologies, in recognition of the growth of this field. 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.

If you already know about wcag youre in great shape. Four wcag testers, including expert endusers with disabilities and senior application developers, manually test all unique web pages not just a small sample and upload their accessibility test results to our customized online portal. Access board and the general services administration will answer your questions about the refreshed section 508 standards. Reveal what a screen reader should say for interactive elements. Section 508 covers technology procured by a federal agency under contract with a private entity or produced within the agency itself. In essence, being 508 compliant and implementing 508 testing in your organisation is a positive way to make your digital products and information technology as accessible as possible. Section 508, an amendment to the united states workforce rehabilitation act of 1973, is a federal law mandating that all electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by the federal government be accessible to people with disabilities. This site supports training resources operated by the. The office of the chief information officer ocio is responsible for hhs section 508 compliance. This part of test cases are based on the section 508 technical standards. Section 508 was originally added as an amendment to the rehabilitation act of 1973 in 1986. Any truly comprehensive testing plan must include both automated and manual testing, preferably including testers with disabilities.

Section 508 amendment to the rehabilitation act of 1973. Eas section 508 team our enterprise applications services eas section 508 team works closely with the usda section 508 program office to ensure quality and continuity in our testing efforts. Testpros understands that compliance is based on the premise that software, hardware and document accessibility is part of each it requirement, and should be addressed up front as part of the system development life cycle. The dhs application testing script consists of fourteen main testing sections. Section 508 is an important amendment to the rehabilitation act that protects the right of people with disabilities to have equal access to electronic and information technology. Dhsatt150a and trusted tester tools for web on windows. This applies to web applications, web pages and all attached files on the intranet, as well as, the internet. On january 9th 2017 the access board released a final rule that updates accessibility requirements covered by section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 along with guidelines for telecommunications equipment subject to section 255 of the communications act of 1934. Guide to the section 508 standards united states access board. Section 508 testing section 508 is a set of standards laid out by the us federal govt which must be followed while developing webpages websites. These rules are more pertaining to information accessibility implying that information needs to be accessible to all individuals inclusive of individuals with disabilities. Where an application permits the user to adjust color and contrast, the range of choices should be broad enough to accommodate low vision users. Section 508 compliance section 508 is a law that must be followed by federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain or use eit.

Section 508 requires that all website content be accessible to people with disabilities. Section 508 was updated in 2018 explicitly referencing the web content accessibility guidelines wcag 2. The ict testing baseline describes how to evaluate conformance to the revised 508 standards, which align with wcag 2. Getting the guidelines uptodate updating the guidelines is an important part of the reboot of our usability.