WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

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Re: Compliance

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From: Hall, Kevin (K.M.)
Date: Aug 11, 2004 8:17AM

RC,
A quick look over your homepage shows a number of accessibility problems that should be addressed. You can view an automated (and thus incomplete) report on your 508 compliance at http://www.contentquality.com/mynewtester/cynthia.exe?rptmode=-1&;amp;url1=http%3A//www.tulsacc.edu/.

As a community college you are likely receiving federal funds and should aim for full 508 compliance. Details on what is expected from a web site under 508 can be found at http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/1194.22.htm.

WebAIM wrote about the topic of colleges and 508 a few years ago:
"The question of the applicability of Section 508 to colleges and universities is even more difficult to answer. Some claim that universities must comply with Section 508 by virtue of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998. This Act supplies monies to states on condition of compliance with Section 508 rules and regulations. If this interpretation is accepted, however, Section 508 is still a procurement law, and might not apply to Web content developed at the university itself. In addition, a state could, in theory, refuse the monies from the Assistive Technology Act, and thus exempt itself from compliance to Section 508 regulations. The picture is a bit murky from a legal perspective at this point regarding some aspects of Section 508, but one thing is clear: universities are still bound by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Both of these laws require equal access for people with disabilities."

I hope that this helps. Also keep in mind that accessibility isn't really something we have to do becuase the government or someone else is making us, it's something we should want to do, particularly in an academic setting where inclusion and equal access to information are core ideals.

Regards,
-Kevin Hall