Compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act refers to the requirement that applications permit their use by individuals with various disabilities. It mandates that federal agencies make their electronic and information technology accessible to persons with disabilities. This has two major implications: Government employees must be able to use agency computers, and the general public must be able to use government Web sites.
W3C and others have developed standards for implementing 508 compliant applications as well as testing standards. While there are various issues, the main issues are the requirement that applications work without the mouse (in other words, all activity in the application can be accomplished using the keyboard without the mouse) and that all controls on the form are can be operated by software that is voice enabled. Typically employers provide JAWS (a software program used for this purpose) to their employees who require voice activation. While there are many other issues, keyboard control and voice enabling are the main issues.
For web applications, Section 508 compliance revolves around Part 1194.22, “Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications”. Additional requirements are included in Part 1194.21, “Software Applications and Operating Systems”.
Note that it is always possible to modify applications built with Iron Speed Designer such that they are not Section 508 compliant. Developers requiring Section 508 compliance should be careful when customizing their applications.
Part 1194.22, Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications