HiSoftware will validate
that your software complies
with the section 508
standards and provide
detailed reports on your
accessibility with steps to
correct if required.
Portions taken from
Understanding Accessibility,
A Guide to Achieving
Compliance on Web Sites and
Intranets 2002 HiSoftware
Press.
Summary of Section 508
standards for software
applications and operating
systems
The following standards
have been interpreted from
the document, Electronic
Information Technology
Accessibility Standards;
Final Rule. Software
standards have been included
to provide you with a
general idea of their
content. The following
standards should be read in
their entirety and
interpreted, just as you
would with any law requiring
compliance on a technical
level.
-
When software is created
for systems with
keyboards, all functions
(or their results) that
are identifiable by text
shall be accessible by
the keyboard.
-
Applications shall not
disrupt or disable any
accessibility features
that are developed
according to industry
standards.
-
Applications shall use a
visual indicator, or
focus, to indicate where
action occurs upon a
keystroke or mouse
click. The indicator
shall be readable by
other applications.
-
The controls of an
application shall be
readable by assistive
technologies. This is
accomplished through the
program code. Examples
of controls include
checkboxes, menus, and
toolbars.
-
When images are used as
icons, the image shall
not change in meaning
throughout the course of
the application. (Screen
readers allows users to
name icons based on
their function or
meaning.)
-
Textual information in
an application shall be
provided using the
functions of the
operating system. This
ensures that the text be
compatible with
assistive technologies.
-
Applications shall not
override display
attributes, such as
color and contrast
settings, that are
selected by the user.
-
Since some assistive
technologies do not
support animation, a
software application or
operating system shall
supply animated elements
additionally in
non-animated form.
-
Color shall not be used
as a primary method of
conveying information.
Color is permitted as an
identifier; however, an
alternative method of
labeling the information
shall be provided.
-
When users of software
applications and
operating systems have
the opportunity to
select colors, they
shall also be provided
the ability to modify
the contrast settings.
-
Software applications
and operating systems
shall not cause screen
items to flash or blink
frequencies between 2
and 55 Hz.
-
Electronic forms shall
be made accessible to
people with
disabilities. This
includes allowing the
user to request
additional time. XE
"section 508:software
and operating systems"
EXAMPLE TEMPLATE
HiSoftware AccMonitor™
3.0
Section 508 §1194.21
Compliance Statement
Date: January 2002
Name of Product: AccMonitor
3.0
Contact for more
Information: HiSoftware, 6
Chenell Drive, Concord, NH
03301 USA, 1-888-272-2484,
info@hisoftware.com
|
Criteria |
Supporting Features |
Remarks and
explanations |
|
(a) When software is
designed to run on a
system that has a
keyboard, product
functions shall be
executable from a
keyboard where the
function itself or
the result of
performing a
function can be
discerned textually. |
All features and
functions of the
software have text
equivalents. |
The functions are
accessible to the
user through the
toolbar menu items
and access keys.
HiSoftware uses
standard Windows®
access keys, as well
as additional access
keys that are
included in
AccMonitor
documentation. |
|
(b) Applications
shall not disrupt or
disable activated
features of other
products that are
identified as
accessibility
features, where
those features are
developed and
documented according
to industry
standards.
Applications also
shall not disrupt or
disable activated
features of any
operating system
that are identified
as accessibility
features where the
application
programming
interface for those
accessibility
features has been
documented by the
manufacturer of the
operating system and
is available to the
product developer. |
AccMonitor does not
disrupt or disable
accessibility
features of other
products or the
user's operating
system. |
|
|
(c) A well-defined
on-screen indication
of the current focus
shall be provided
that moves among
interactive
interface elements
as the input focus
changes. The focus
shall be
programmatically
exposed so that
Assistive Technology
can track focus and
focus changes. |
AccMonitor uses two
foci. There is a
caret focus for text
fields, and another
focus to highlight
selected features
and buttons of the
interface and to
assist the user in
navigating the
features. |
|
|
(d) Sufficient
information about a
user interface
element including
the identity,
operation and state
of the element shall
be available to
Assistive
Technology. When an
image represents a
program element, the
information conveyed
by the image must
also be available in
text. |
Features and
functions in
AccMonitor are
described with text,
and in some cases,
supplemental
graphical icons. The
textual information
describes the
features or
functions in the
program. |
|
|
(e) When bitmap
images are used to
identify controls,
status indicators,
or other
programmatic
elements, the
meaning assigned to
those images shall
be consistent
throughout an
application's
performance. |
Images used to
supplement textual
commands are
symbolic of the
features or
functions they
represent.
Furthermore, each
image is used to
represent only one
feature or function. |
|
|
(f) Textual
information shall be
provided through
operating system
functions for
displaying text. The
minimum information
that shall be made
available is text
content, text input
caret location, and
text attributes. |
Textual information
about program
functions in
AccMonitor is
compatible with the
display functions of
the user's operating
system.
Additionally,
AccMonitor generates
textual information,
or reports, that are
available to the
user in a variety of
formats. |
Reports can be
viewed by the user
in simple text or
HTML format. HTML
reports that include
Web elements are
accessible according
to the standards for
web-based
information, which
are outlined in
Section 508
§1194.22. |
|
(g) Applications
shall not override
user selected
contrast and color
selections and other
individual display
attributes. |
AccMonitor does not
override any display
options. |
|
|
(h)
When animation is
displayed, the
information shall be
displayable in at
least one
non-animated
presentation mode at
the option of the
user. |
AccMonitor does not
have animated
elements. |
|
|
(i) Color coding
shall not be used as
the only means of
conveying
information,
indicating an
action, prompting a
response, or
distinguishing a
visual element. |
AccMonitor does not
use color to convey
information. |
|
|
(j) When a product
permits a user to
adjust color and
contrast settings, a
variety of color
selections capable
of producing a range
of contrast levels
shall be provided. |
AccMonitor includes
a variety of colors
that can be changed
or adjusted in the
display settings for
the operating
system. |
|
|
(k) Software shall
not use flashing or
blinking text,
objects, or other
elements having a
flash or blink
frequency greater
than 2 Hz and lower
than 55 Hz. |
AccMonitor does not
have any blinking or
flashing objects or
elements. |
|
|
(l) When electronic
forms are used, the
form shall allow
people using
Assistive Technology
to access the
information, field
elements, and
functionality
required for
completion and
submission of the
form, including all
directions and cues.
|
AccMonitor has
access keys for all
text fields in
electronic forms.
Furthermore,
function keys allow
the user to access
additional windows
where items can be
selected. AccMonitor
uses all standard
access keys for the
Windows® operating
system, as well as
additional access
keys that are
included in
AccMonitor
documentation.
|
|
Training
Services
HiSoftware provides group or
individual training sessions
for all HiSoftware products.
Additionally HiSoftware can
work with you to train your
trainers. Individuals who
have completed training
courses will receive
certificates of completion.
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Partner
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