Thread Subject: Re: AT and IT interoperability - the regime we are operating under today

Note

This archival content is maintained by WebAIM and NCDAE on behalf of TEITAC and the U.S. Access Board . Additional details on the updates to section 508 and section 255 can be found at the Access Board web site.

From: Bailey Bruce
Date: Fri, Oct 26 2007 1:00 PM

Responding to Peter's question posted to list:
http://teitac.org/mailarchives/mail_message.php?id=7381&listid=1

The Access Board is eager for TEITAC to advise on this concern. If there is not a single consensus position, multiple recommendations are welcomed. The Access Board has already addressed this issue as best we can in the preamble to the 508 rulemaking:

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Comment. The ITIC requested clarification as to how a manufacturer would determine the type and number of assistive technology devices for which support must be provided by a product.

Response. Manufacturers do not need to be aware of the universe of assistive technology products on the market. Each provision specifies the type of assistive technology that must be supported. For example, §1194.31(a) addresses those assistive technology devices which provide output to persons who cannot see the screen. Such devices may include screen readers, Braille displays and speech synthesizers. There are numerous resources available to manufacturers to assist them in identifying specific types of assistive technology which would be used to access their product.

Paragraph (a) provides that at least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user vision shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people who are blind or visually impaired shall be provided. It is not expected that every software program will be self-voicing or have its own built-in screen reader. Software that complies with §1194.21 would also satisfy this provision. (See §1194.27(a) in the NPRM.) No substantive comments were received regarding this provision and no changes were made in the final rule.

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http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/preamble.htm

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