Smooth the bumpy road to 508 compliance
In the year since Section 508 of the Disability Act Amendments took effect, we've seen considerable advances. One is a better toolkit to make agency Web sites accessible for every user.
Expect looser language in final Section 803 rule
The Office of Federal Procurement Policy does not plan to include time and materials language in the final Section 803 rule after all, industry and congressional sources say.
ADA celebrates 12th birthday with civic compliance
On this day 12 years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act mandated equal access to public facilities for disabled persons. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 extended equal access to public information and electronic systems, and many agencies met the accessibility deadline a year ago.
FAR Councils want Sec. 508 certification
When the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulatory Council published the final rule last year implementing Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998, the regulation did not require vendors to certify that their products meet the standards in the rule.
Pair of lawmakers pushes 508 rule for Capitol Hill
Congress is intended to be of the people, by the people and for the people, but on many lawmakers' Web sites, that doesn't include the nation's 54 million disabled citizens.
Acquisition councils seek input on applying 508
The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulatory Council are asking agencies and vendors for comments on how to be more consistent in implementing the accessibility features mandated by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998.
Barrett illuminates 508 gains
Don Barrett, a 24-year veteran at the Education Department in Washington, remembers what assistive technology was like before the Digital Age.
Section 508 complaint process makes lawsuits unlikely
One of the spurs last year to agency compliance with Section 508 was the threat'real or imagined'of lawsuits.
Web sites highlight accessibility
The General Services Administration and the IT Industry Council have released a set of best practices to help vendors fill out a template that highlights the accessible features of their products.
Agency policies remain behind the 508 curve
In the year since Section 508 became a fact of life in government, agencies have gained a lot of ground toward making their Web sites and workplaces accessible. But they're also running to catch up on many fronts.
Disability Caucus to press members about 508
The House Disability Caucus is lobbying fellow members to make their Web sites Section 508-compliant. At least one member of the 30-person caucus is introducing a bill to force the legislative branch to abide by the accessibility law. Of more than 400 member and committee Web sites, few meet the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998, from which Congress exempted itself.
Agriculture aims for a bull's-eye on 508
About a year ago, a District of Columbia police officer happened to be on some business in the Agriculture Department South building in Washington.
Internaut: Here's the latest in usability lore from'surprise!'the feds
Agency webmasters always feel pressure to nail up more door knockers on their sites. After all, the taxpayers deserve to know what's there, and the agencies deserve to highlight their hard work in adding another database or resource.
Beyond 508
Agency managers have found bonus capabilities in the compliance software they bought last year to meet Section 508 accessibility deadlines. Several related their experiences this month at the opening of the General Services Administration's Assistive Technology Showcase.
GSA opens 508 IT center
To encourage agencies to comply with Section 508, the General Services Administration opened its Assistive Technology Showcase yesterday at its Washington headquarters.
Agencies find tangible success on 508
Congressional mandates usually tell agencies to manage what Education CIO Craig Luigart calls white space'that is, business processes or issues. And that's often why agencies fail to comply with them.
Dragon slayers: How agencies have coped successfully with mandates
Don Barrett works for the Education Department, but he spends time at the Postal Service evaluating technologies to make sure they are Section 508-compliant. Barrett also is blind.
Software for 508 'revolutionizes' Superfund reporting
Last May, the Environmental Protection Agency bought graphing software just in time to meet Section 508 requirements for making its systems accessible to disabled users. Less than a year later, the software has produced benefits agencywide.
Section 508 site takes own advice
When it comes to complying with Section 508, the General Services Administration's Center for IT Accommodation is the standard bearer for the federal government.
Report urges Congress to make legislative branch compliant with Section 508
The Board of Directors of the Compliance Office has recommended that Congress order all legislative branch entities to become Section 508 compliant.
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