Section 508

This is the most recent law relating to accessibility and is often referred to as "Section 508." In 1998, the president signed into law the Workforce Investment Act, which amended Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1986 and significantly expanded and strengthened the technology access requirements of the 1986 act. In effect, the new law requires that federal procurement of electronic and information technology after August 2000 must be accessible to federal employees who have disabilities and to members of the public with disabilities who need to use that technology. States that receive federal funds under the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 are also required to comply with Section 508. The federal government is the largest purchaser of computer software. Section 508 also applies to Web sites that are produced for government agencies.

For additional information about Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, visit: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/508/508home.html and http://www.access-board.gov/

These standards, the first of their kind in the Federal sector, cover various means of disseminating information, including computers, software, and electronic office equipment. They provide criteria that spell out what makes these products accessible to people with disabilities, including those with vision, hearing, and mobility impairments. The Board developed these standards under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act as amended by Congress in 1998

The Federal government is not alone in taking action on this front. Private industry and research entities have demonstrated significant initiative in improving access for people with disabilities in the Digital Age.

Pledged to this goal are the CEOs of 3Com, Adobe, AOL, AT&T, Bell South, Compaq, eBay, Global Crossing, Handspring, Hewlett-Packard, Macromedia, Microsoft, NCR, PeoplePC, Qualcomm, Red Hat, and Sun Microsystems, among others.