WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

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RE: are accessibility audits mandetory in any nation?

for

From: Deborah Buck
Date: Sep 4, 2006 3:00PM

Just a point of clarification- the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 was
amended in 2004 and with those amendments the applicability of Section 508
to states was finally clarified. The AT Act solely requires state AT
Programs to comply with Section 508 - not the state in its entirety- which
was unclear in the past.

State AT Programs are required to develop a state plan and provide an
assurance to the US Department of Education that they will comply with
Section 508. However the AT Act limits states compliance with 508 only to
those activities which are required under the Act and that are supported
with grant dollars received under the AT Act. I've excerpted the pertinent
section of the AT Act below

Assistive Technology Act of 2004, as amended Public Law 108-364 29 USC
3001

SEC. 4. STATE GRANTS FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY.
(d) APPLICATION.-
(1) IN GENERAL.-
(6) ASSURANCES.-The application shall include assurances that-
(G) activities carried out in the State that are authorized under this Act,
and supported by Federal funds received under this Act, will comply with the
standards established by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers
Compliance Board under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (20
U.S.C. 794d); and

As pointed out, many states have adopted Section 508 either through state
statute, executive order or thru a policy and the majority of states have
"something" relative to web accessibility although the commitment and
clarity of the requirements run the full spectrum. The range of state 508
laws is as broad as the range of web accessibility policies that exist. For
example, some state 508 laws only address access for people who are blind or
have other visual disabilities. Some state laws include public universities
while some state 508 laws specifically exempt their public universities. At
the state level - an across the board adoption of Section 508 is still very
fluid.

Deborah V. Buck, Executive Director
Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs (ATAP)
PO Box 32
Delmar, NY 12054
518.439.1263 voice/TTY
518.439.3451 fax
518.441.7204 cell
<EMAIL REMOVED>
http://www.ataporg.org