APPENDIX 2

(14 pages)

Section 508 Accessibility Standards 

Web based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications (1194.22)

Updated: June 21, 2001 

These provisions of the standards provide the requirements that must be followed by Federal 

agencies when producing web pages. These provisions apply unless doing so would impose an 

undue burden. 

The key to compliance with these provisions is adherence to the provisions. Many agencies 

have purchased assistive software to test their pages. This will produce a better understanding 

of how these devices interact with different coding techniques. However, it always should be 

kept in mind that assistive technologies, such as screen readers, are complex programs and 

take extensive experience to master. For this reason, a novice user may obtain inaccurate 

results that can easily lead to frustration and a belief that the page does not comply with the 

standards. For example, all screen reading programs use special key combinations to read 

properly coded tables. If the novice user of assistive technology is not aware of these 

commands, the tables will never read appropriately no matter how well the tables have been 

formatted. A web site will be in compliance with the 508 standards if it meets paragraphs (a) 

through (p) of Section 1194.22. Please note that the tips and techniques discussed in the 

document for complying with particular sections are not necessarily the only ways of providing 

compliance with 508.  In many cases, they are techniques developed by the Board, the 

Department of Education, and the Department of Justice that have been tested by users with a 

wide variety of screen reader software. With the evolution of technology, other techniques may 

become available or even preferable.  

(a) A text equivalent for every non text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", 

"longdesc", or in element content). 

What is meant by a text equivalent? 

A text equivalent means adding words to represent the purpose of a non text element. This 

provision requires that when an image indicates a navigational action such as "move to the next 

screen" or "go back to the top of the page," the image must be accompanied by actual text that 

states the purpose of the image. This provision also requires that when an image is used to 

represent page content, the image must have a text description accompanying it that explains 

the meaning of the image. 

HTML Source Code:  

http://www.access board.gov/

National GACC Website and GACC Website Template  

25

  Implementation Guidelines