WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Assessment of the Sec. 508 Evaluation Documents

for

From: Chagnon | PubCom
Date: Feb 18, 2015 3:24PM

Per US federal law, the Access Board has to publish its data behind its
proposed rulemaking (translation, putting the Sec. 508 Refresh into play).
That data is in an analysis on how Sec. 508 will affect the federal
government.



Titled "Preliminary Regulatory Impact Analysis," this report has some very
interesting facts.



However, the report itself is only moderately accessible. Created by an
outside government contractor in MS Word, it concludes that it will cost the
Federal government several million more dollars every year to deploy Sec.
508 than the government will reap in potential benefits.



I just wonder how a company that doesn't know how to make a fully-compliant
Word document would be able to adequately judge how much time and labor it
costs to make a fully-compliant Word document.



Just wondering, that's all.



You can view the document here:
http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=ATBCB-2015-0002-0002

I downloaded it, made a PDF with default accessibility settings, and checked
it.

Hmm. They'd score a C+ in my accessible Word class.



I'm also wondering if the analysis of increased operating costs could become
grounds for some backlash during the upcoming 90-day comment period. After
all, most federal employees haven't had a basic MS Word class in decades, if
ever, and their lack of Word skills is a leading cause of the inaccessible
mess that's produced every day. If this report says that Sec. 508 is costly
and time-consuming, then anyone can cite these experts to justify the delay
of Sec. 508.



I'd like to know what our list members who use assistive technologies think
about the document's accessibility.



--Bevi Chagnon



- - -

Bevi Chagnon | www.PubCom.com

Consultants, Trainers, Designers, and Developers

For publishing technologies

| Acrobat PDF | Digital Media | XML and Automated Workflows

| GPO | Print | Desktop Publishing | Sec. 508 Accessibility | EPUBs

- - -