- Check your work. Validate. Use tools, checklist, and guidelines at http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT
Not everyone is cheering
Some IT companies have found it tough to comply with Section 508. In May 2001, Ken Wasch, president of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) sent a letter to the Federal civilian and military acquisition councils saying "inadequate flexibility mechanisms, lingering unresolved policy issues and a brief implementation schedule could substantially harm software and information companies who serve the federal market."
SIIA recommended giving agencies more discretion to balance accessibility needs against basic procurement requirements. The organization claimed that dozens of its members would suffer if Section 508 went into effect on schedule.
Others in the industry, however, see the push for greater accessibility as a good business opportunity. At the 2000 FOSE conference in Washington, DC, Microsoft’s CEO and keynote speaker Steve Ballmer said designing in greater accessibility helps more than just people with disabilities. Ballmer noted that greater accessibility meets the needs of an aging population that discovers it has decreasing visual, hearing, and physical capabilities. In other words, we will all need a little help using IT systems sooner or later, so building in that help sooner makes good business sense.
Note: In 1981, the author was part of the first national search sponsored by Johns Hopkins University for applications of personal computing to contribute to the quality of life of people with disabilities.
Links:
Federal Section 508 information site: http://www.section508.gov
Section 508 accessibility standards: http://www.access-board.gov
World Wide Web Consortium: http://www.w3.org/
Software & Information Industry Association: http://www.siia.net
