Community College of Rhode IslandSection 508: Disability and navigating the Web
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Since the inception of the World Wide Web, designers have struggled with techniques and guidelines to make their Web pages accessible to all users. Recently, the considerable gap in content accessibility between people with vision, auditory and mobility impediments and those without impediments was demonstrated in a unique workshop held at CCRI. “Make IT Accessible,” a program of the New England ADA and Accessible IT Center, was attended by more than 20 members of the CCRI community.
Kathy Gips, director of training for New England ADA, and Will Miller, ADA information specialist, demonstrated principles of Web accessibility and why they matter. They presented Web sites that created barriers for people with cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, tunnel vision and color blindness; they then demonstrated assistive technology including head sticks for the paralyzed, Braille displays, voice inputs, and software to control the computer cursor with a body part or eye movement.
Miller, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, related his personal experience of going blind at the age of 23 and having to learn technology in order to survive. “Information technology can be an incredible tool or it can create incredible barriers,” Miller said. He demonstrated a screen reading program called JAWS which he relies on. The software reads text aloud at such a rapid pace that most of the audience found it indecipherable, but Miller has attuned himself to it. Using this system allows Miller to maneuver the Web as quickly as a sighted person, as long as the appropriate accessibility tools are in place.
Gips told attendees that the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1998 state that electronic and information technology must be accessible to persons with disabilities. While the regulations only apply to federal agencies, many organizations have adopted Section 508 standards such as providing a text equivalent for every non-text element; including multimedia alternatives, such as captioning and video; and conveying with other means in addition to color.
New England ADA is also working on a special project to enhance accessibility to community college web sites in the Northeast, and CCRI chose to participate in the review. Jim Kirby, CCRI Web site manager, said that while several accessibility improvements had been made to the CCRI Web site prior to the review, several other changes have been made or are in the process of being implemented as a result of the input from New England ADA.
For more information on accessibility standards, visit
www.section508.gov
