The Section 508 regulations are about to change. That shouldn’t be a big surprise because, as technology leaps forwards, the challenges and opportunities for people with disabilities also change. Consequently, the rules for what kind of technology the government can use or buy should also change. These changes have been in the works for years. Change is coming and it’s inevitable. But while it may look innocent and inevitable, it isn’t. Read on for more details.

For web content, the most obvious change will be from the relatively basic 16 requirements in the older Section 508 regulations to the complex 38 “success criteria” that comprise the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 levels A and AA. That’s a daunting but not insurmountable challenge.

A bigger challenge is the impact on content management systems. As accurately reported by Fierce Content Management, the new rules will affect:

• content that is public facing;
• content that is broadly disseminated within the agency;
• letters adjudicating any cause within the jurisdiction of the agency;
• internal and external program and policy announcements;
• notices of benefits, forms, questionnaires and surveys;
• emergency notifications;
• formal acknowledgements; and
• educational and training materials.

In other words, exactly the sorts of things agencies use content management system to do. Further, the new rules cover “authoring tools” that are used to create that content. Because so much content is created in CMS these days, the systems will all have to change if they want government customers. Certainly a big change for some, but a welcome one. Emphasizing better tools and backend technologies obviously make it easier to create compliant content. And, it also drives the market to make these technologies available to everyone.

But all is not rainbows and unicorns in the current draft Section 508 regulations. The new regulations require that IT needs to separately meet both the “functional performance requirements” and the “technical provisions.” What this means is that, even if you comply with all of the nitty-gritty technical requirements, you still have to demonstrate that people with various types of disabilities can use your product. This means getting people with different disabilities to “sign off” on your product before making a Federal government sale—and still risk being denied because your testers didn’t accurately reflect all users with those disabilities. If you also find that a little troubling, feel free to let the Access Board know how you feel before March 7. Those who wish to provide comments should contact Kathy Johnson at johnson@access-board.gov, (202) 272-0041 (v), or (202) 272-0065 (TTY).

To learn more about Web accessibility read the whitepaper Content Management Systems (CMS) and WCAG 2.0.

Ken Nakata is a well-known figure in the area of IT accessibility and works as the Director of Accessibility Practices for HiSoftware. His work focuses on web and software accessibility from both a legal and technical perspective. Nakata has helped shape the government’s policies for the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.