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Section 508 Standards Compliance and Scripts

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From: Bryce.Fields@kyvu.org
Date: Sep 4, 2003 9:08AM

I come to the community seeking enlightenment (especially if there are any
of you out there w/ a legal background).
Kentucky Virtual University is currently reviewing Section 508 standards
compliance of several distance education course management systems (CMS).
While doing so, I ran across this explanation of why a system is in
compliance with the part of Section 508 that governs scripting:
"[Software Package X] uses only minimal dynamic scripting for content
presentation. It does use script to conditionally write some content to a
page. Content rendered in this manner is written to the screen before the
page loads, and can't be distinguished from standard content."
It is pretty clear in the context of the paragraph this was taken from that
they are referring to client-side JavaScript and not a server side solution.
Correct me if I'm wrong (and it's been known to happen), but isn't
JavaScript interpreted AS the page loads (at least in the case that they are
describing)? How can scripting write content to the page BEFORE it loads?
This statement makes no sense to me.
KYVU currently uses a CMS that makes a similar claim about its product
("content written to the screen before the page loads"). Disabling
JavaScript while using that platform makes course material inaccessible.
All an end user receives is a one sentence message stating that the page
won't work w/ JavaScript disabled, and no other means to access the course
is provided. How can this be considered compliance w/ 508???
I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything. And TIA for all
comments. (And to anyone who also subscribes to the Webdesign-L discussion
list, I apologize for the cross-posting).

Bryce Fields
Web Developer
Kentucky Virtual University
http://www.kyvu.org/ <http://www.kyvu.org/>;

1-877-740-4357
1-502-573-1555 ext 288

"Do or do not. There is no try." -- Yoda


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