The digital divide
The disabled are among the millions of Americans who are unable to profit from the technology innovations of recent years. Their situation is perhaps the most frustrating of those on the other side of the digital divide. Unlike others who are excluded for various socio-economic reasons, the disabled could easily participate in technology if developers took them into consideration when designing software, hardware, and office equipment.
Interface design problems
Much of what makes software and web sites inaccessible to the disabled could be remedied quickly and simply. For instance, according to the National Federation of the Blind, fewer than 50% of web sites are compatible with screen access software (products that scan the words on a computer screen, including the hidden tags that describe images and links, and read them aloud). Links and images are often unlabeled and without any description. For instance, a link labeled "click here" is of no use to a person using a screen-reader. Tables, multiple columns and bit-mapped text all make a web page illegible to screen access software. The software used by the blind cannot pick up Java applets or plug-ins. People with other disabilities encounter frustrating situations on the web as well. For those with impaired motor skills, navigating a web site can be extremely difficult. Links are often too small or too close together to click with a mouse. Finally, the increasingly popular audio on the web is rarely accompanied by captioning and excludes the deaf.
Technology accessibility problems go beyond the web. Using a photocopy machine can be extremely difficult for someone in a wheelchair. When an error message appears on a fax machine or printer, it is impossible for a blind person to know what the problem is.
Section 508
Now and in the future, when developing and buying new technology, all Federal departments and agencies must ensure that their employees have access to information and data that is "comparable" to that of employees who are not disabled. This also applies to public access to Federal information and services. The new regulations cover software and operating systems, intra- and Internet applications, telecommunications, video and multimedia, and desktop and portable computers.
According to the new standards, telecommunication devices must allow for communication both visually and vocally. For instance, telephones must be complemented with a teletypwriter (TTY) connection. Features such as voicemail and caller identification must be compatible with TTY devices and available to those who cannot see displays. Products that involve keyboards and controls must be "tactilely discernible" and operable with one hand. All video devices must support captioning, and training and information videos must have an audio description.
The new rules will have many consequences for government web developers. Web sites will have to be made compatible with screen access software, providing "a text equivalent for every not-text element" with an "alt" tag, for instance. Forms will have to be made accessible to people using assistive technology. Text-only alternatives to sites that rely on animation and image maps must be provided as well as an "equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation." For those with other visual impairments, including color blindness, software and web sites must not disrupt the accessibility features of other products and should not override individual display attributes such as color and contrast features. In addition, information conveyed with color will also have to be conveyed in another manner. Blinking elements that flash at a frequency between 2 Hz and 55 Hz are prohibited in order to protect those with epilepsy.
A challenge to implement
Though all agree that Section 508 represents a worthy act, it poses problems for many Federal agencies and departments as well as the companies that supply their electronic and information technology. While most large companies like Compaq and Microsoft say their products already meet most of the new standards, many small and medium sized technology providers were caught off-guard by the regulations that were still being introduced and explained just a few months and weeks before the June 21, 2001 implementation date. In addition, some complain that while there is a long, complex list of standards (some more specific than others), there is no certification body to approve products that meet Section 508 requirements.
The ripple effect
The effects of Section 508 are likely to be felt in the private sector very soon. The government spends over $45 billion a year on electronic and information technology, making it the biggest technology consumer in the world. By changing its technology standards, the government is forcing the technology industry to rethink and redesign its products. For example, several large companies like Hewlett Packard, I.B.M., and Adobe are incorporating the accessibility standards into their new designs rather than create entirely different product lines.
In addition, the new government accessibility rules can serve as a guideline for the private sector, which has already been under pressure by disability groups to make its technology more accessible. The National Federation of the Blind filed a lawsuit in 1999 against America Online, claiming AOL software was inaccessible to the blind. America Online quickly settled the suit, pledging to add accessibility features to their software. The federation also sued the State of Connecticut for offering online tax filing that was inaccessible to the blind. As a result of that case, H&R Block, Intuit, and other providers of tax preparation software upgraded their software.
With accessibility issues moved to the forefront, many companies are realizing that accessible technology makes good business sense. In fact, many of the problems that hinder disabled technology users also impede users with slower modems or less powerful computers. By forcing web developers to think about the user, Section 508 may mark the beginning of a new era of technology development, one that usability engineers and human-centered designers have been waiting a long time to see. Companies are learning (some the hard way) that user-centered design and usability engineering services are the best way to ensure meeting Section 508 and accessibility standards.
Charles L. Mauro
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The Federal Government's technology accessibility standards web site: Much to everyone's amazement President Bush signed into law Section 508 which mandates that all web sites used by or accessed by government employees must be usable by the handicapped. We are talking about millions of people. If you want a real wake up call, read the technical specification of Section 508. It is the first major federal policy centered on usability. This is serious stuff if you build web sites for or sell anything on the web to the federal government. www.section508.gov
