National laws related to Web accessibility
- Americans with Disabilities Act and sections 508 & 504
- MIT's Accessibility Policy
Title III of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
Public Accomodations and services operated by private entitiesProhibition of discrimination. No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any private entity who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation.
- non-residential places of lodging
- establishments serving food/drink
- places of exhibition or entertainment
- places of public gathering
- sales or rental establishments
- service establishments
- stations used for specified public transportation
- places of public display/collection
- places of recreation
- places of education
- social service center establishments
- places of exercise/recreation
Section 508
Section 508 requires that Federal agencies' electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities.Section 504
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 require equal access to programs and activities unless doing so would be an undue burden. This applies to the structure of the program, no matter if it is physical or technological. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 requires federal agencies to ensure that information technology purchased and developed must be accessible to individuals with disabilities. While Section 508 does not apply specifically to postsecondary institutions, it appears to indicate an increased focus on accessible information technology by the federal government. Two recent actions further support this idea: (1) a national center focused on accessible education information technology is being created and (2) additional funding is being provided to regional Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers specifically targeted for training on accessible information technology in educational settings.(source: University of Kentucky - http://www.uky.edu/TLC/grants/uk_ed/webaccessibility.html)
Section 508 and the WCAG Guidelines side by side:
This document compares the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for Priority 1 checkpoints and contrasts them with the Section 508 Standards. http://jimthatcher.com/sidebyside.htmMIT's Accessibility Policy
MIT's President Vest signature in support of the Presidential accessibility initiative of 2000MIT is committed to providing equal access to information technology in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. This commitment ensures that MIT Web-based products, software, online documentation, and library resources will be accessible to users with disabilities. Developers and purchasers need to take accessibility features into account in the design or purchase process using the checklists shown below. The checklists apply to software and Web-based products to be used in administration and services, courses of instruction, departmental programs and Institute sponsored activities.
If you purchase software or Web-based products, use the Purchaser's Checklists to evaluate the products you are considering purchasing.
