Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities
The DC.Gov web portal meets federal government standards for making web content and applications usable for persons with disabilities. These "Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards" were established by the Federal Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board to fulfill the mandate of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998. Section 508 requires that all federal government agencies provide access to electronic information and data for persons with disabilities that is comparable to the access provided to other persons, unless doing so would impose an undue burden on the agency.
The standards themselves can be found at Volume 65, Number 246 Fed. Reg. Page 80499-80528 (December 21, 2000), or on the Section 508 website.
Some of the key requirements are as follows:
- Text will be provided for graphic elements.
- Web pages will be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color.
- Online electronic forms will allow people using assistive technology to access the information, field elements, and functions required to complete and submit the forms.
Additionally, the DC.Gov portal passes Bobby 508 Compliance testing for adherence to these guidelines.