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Re: 508 update? when?

for

From: Bevi Chagnon
Date: Sep 25, 2012 9:07AM

As someone noted, things are running pretty slowly here in Washington and
will for another month or longer. The end of the fiscal year, the election,
the way the political winds are blowing today <grin>.
Once OMB approves the 508 refresh, the Access Board will place it into the
Federal Register and it becomes the new standard. From that date, it will be
12 months until it will be enforceable.

So an estimated timeline I give my clients is:
Entered into the Federal Register -- between Jan 2013 and April 2013
Enforcement -- Jan 2014 and April 2014.

I encourage my clients to use this "lag" period to "gently" make the
transition to the new standards. Start aiming toward the new standards,
practice the techniques, get your staff trained, deploy the workflow and
tweak procedures, etc. so that when it does take affect, they're already up
to speed and in compliance. This strategy usually appeases higher ups and
takes the pressure off the actual employee who has to adjust to new work
procedures and tasks related to Sec. 508 compliance.

--Bevi Chagnon
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Bevi Chagnon, <EMAIL REMOVED>
PubCom - Trainers, consultants, designers, and developers
Print, Web, Acrobat, XML, eBooks, and Federal Section 508 Accessibility
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* It's our 30th Year! *

-----Original Message-----

I was asked to test some sites for 508 compliance. One question I have is
does anyone know when the updated 508 is going into affect? I have to
put together a proposal.
Thanks,
Nancy Johnson