Technology Tools
There is no Section508 Validation service on the Section508.gov website, nor does GSA promote any validation tool over another. In addition there is no single tool that can review your site, find all the errors and fix them for you. Some tools have been known to report false negatives as well as false positives. The most thorough Section 508 compliance test of a website or web application must be completed using both automated and manual processes.
Our compliance assessment process is a compilation of Section 508 standards, guidelines and best practices from industry and government agencies such as the Access Board, DHS, SSA, IRS, and others. We test our software applications, websites and website content (all documents including video and multimedia) and documentation, using automated test tools and manual techniques.
Some of the multiple automated tools (commercial and freeware)and manual checklist we use for 508 compliance testing are listed below. Most important, we incorporate 508 standards in the functional requirements gathering stages of development; and full software development lifecycle. All projects are fully tested and must pass pre-deployment; all subsequent postings must pass prior to posting; we run routine assessments on a quarterly basis.
On this page we provide a compilation of tools from private industry and government agencies.
Disclaimer: The IT Accessibility & Workforce Division does not endorse the content or commercial products on any of the external sites provided, but offers them as an informational resource to be used at your discretion. This list is intended solely as a resource for users who develop and, or manage government websites. This is an unofficial list for informational purposes only.
100 Killer Web Accessibility Resources: Blogs, Forums, and Tutorials
This page on WHDb.com is an excellent one source listing of reference materials including tutorials, tools and guidelines, covering many accessibility issues including mobiility impairment and cognitive difficulties. The list contains links to simulators validators and browser accessibility extensions.
A Guide to Transitioning to Windows 7 for People with Disabilities
(From Microsoft.com) "Transitioning to a new operating system is challenging, particularly for people
with disabilities who rely on important accessibility features. People tend to grow comfortable with their current operating
system and resist upgrading. However, not upgrading to Windows 7 means missing out on the many compelling features that help
make this version of Windows fast, easy to use, easy to customize, and accessible."
Accessibility at Google I/O 2011
Resources available on practical web design accessibility tips.
Accessibility: WCAG2 at a Glance
For quick access to CSS properties, WCAG tips, mobile tips, and more.
Accessible Digital Office Documents and Office Applications
The Inclusive Design Research Center, in partnership with UNESCO and the Government of Ontario, has developed consolidated and publicly-reviewed guidance to help ensure the accessibility of office documents and the office applications with which they are created.
AccVerify (HiSoftware)
AccVerify is an on-demand Developers Desktop test management solution. It enables users to validate content for compliance with standards-based and unique organizational policies for Web accessibility, privacy, content defects, usability testing, search engine effectiveness, site inventory, and site maintenance. It provides a unified approach that will meet the demands of both your executive and technical constituencies, by allowing your organization's experts and/or policy managers to define organizational policies and then provide a solution to validate compliance with these policies, so that you know exactly why your content has passed or failed.
BuyAccessible-Section 508 Compliance Made Easy
The BuyAccessible system is available to any agency at no cost, and is the quickest, easiest, most efficient way to implement a Section (Sec.) 508 compliance process. The BuyAccessible program is part of GSA’s commitment to provide standard processes and tools to support government-wide compliance with Sec. 508. These tools and processes were developed by industry stakeholders’ determination on how to best implement the Sec. 508 standards.
The BuyAccessible System, which has four components, all made available to any agency at no cost to help with the quick, easy, and efficient implementation of all Sec. 508 standards.
Closing The Gap
Closing the Gap is an information resource center on the latest computer technology in special education and rehabilitation. This organization produces a monthly newsletter filled with the latest assistive technology devices, software, and hardware and product innovations. Descriptions of vendors and specific products are available in a yearly resource directory.
Content Management Systems Used by Government Agencies
Webcontent.gov is a practical guide to help you manage your agency's website. While U.S. federal web content managers are the primary audience, we also welcome web managers from state, local, and international governments to use the site and send us comments, ideas, and suggested resources. This page is a list of content management systems (CMS) used by various government agencies. Most are commercial products, but some are products developed in-house. You can contact them for more information about an agency's experience with that product or system. Disclaimer: This list is intended solely as a resource for government employees who manage government websites. This is an unofficial list for informational purposes only. The Federal Web Managers Council, which maintains this list, does not endorse the products or services listed below.
Create an accessible Office Document
This is a training course that will show you how to create documents that are more accessible by, Using a proper font size, Adding text that describes a graphic, Changing screen colors, Positioning hyperlinks wisely, Knowing what to do with animated text.
Deque Systems - Amaze
Amaze is a fast, secure, cost-effective solution for making web content
accessible without affecting a site's performance in any way. It works
by creating an Amaze Accessibility Overlay, which temporarily renders a
web page accessible to the user and can be used as a template for
correcting accessibility errors. Amaze can also make third-party
content accessible without having access to the application’s source
code - a feature that is truly revolutionary.
Deque Systems - WorldSpace Sync and FireEyes
WorldSpace Sync is Deque's Enterprise level accessibility solution. It
works in conjunction with FireEyes - our in-browser accessibility
testing tool for developers - to create and organize comprehensive
reports, delegate tasks, remediate your web content, and integrate web
accessibility into your entire development process. WorldSpace also
includes an enhanced screen reader simulator and can record user input
for automated testing. FireEyes is free for non-commercial users,
including users within government agencies.
Firefox Accessibility Extension
The Mozilla/Firefox Accessibility Extension makes it easier for people with disabilities to view and navigate web content. Developers can use the extension to check their use of structural and styling markup that support functional web accessibility.
How can I test my website for accessibility?
This page on AccessIT, a project of the University of Washington http://www.washington.edu/accessit/ is one of an entire knowledge base, searchable database of questions and answers regarding accessible E&IT. It is designed for educators, policy makers, librarians, technical support staff, and students and employees with disabilities and their advocates.
Illinois Functional Accessibility Evaluator (FAE)
The Functional Accessibility Evaluator (FAE) analyzes web resources for markup that is consistent with the use of CITES/DRES HTML Best Practices for development of functionally accessible web resources that also support interoperability.
Information Technology Technical Assistance And Training Center (ITTATC)
The ITTATC promotes the development of accessible electronic and information technology by providing technical assistance, training and information.
Jim Thatcher's Site
I can help you with expert accessibility evaluations (for web or software), provide training, or generally assist you in your efforts to establish or build accessibility in your organization.
Microsoft's New free Accessibility Tools and Training for Developers
the immediate availability of Microsoft Accessibility Tools & Training, a package of free online accessibility training courses, tools and other resources to help developers worldwide create technology products, services and websites that are accessible to people with disabilities, and to enable business leaders to make more strategic technology decisions.
Thoroughly Modern Multimedia
Make Your Videos, Audio Files, Podcasts, and Other Multimedia Section 508 Compliant and Accessible.
UIAccess
a resource for universal interface design and usable accessibility that provides techniques to support developing and implementing strategies to optimize web site design for usability and accessibility.
UITest.com: Web Development Tools
This page is a compiled list of Accessiblity, General, Legal, performance, search engine optimization (SEO), and miscellaneous links to tools and testing resouces.
WAVE web accessiblity evaluation tool
WAVE is a free web accessibility evaluation tool provided by WebAIM. It is used to aid humans in the web accessibility evaluation process. Rather than providing a complex technical report, WAVE shows the original web page with embedded icons and indicators that reveal the accessibility of that page.
Web Accessibility and Disability Resources in Spanish and Portuguese
Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools: Overview
This page on www.w3.org is part of a full module on evaluating accessibility. Web accessibility evaluation tools are software programs or online services that help determine if a Web site meets accessibility guidelines. While Web accessibility evaluation tools can significantly reduce the time and effort to evaluate Web sites, no tool can automatically determine the accessibility of Web sites.
Web Accessibility Initiative
Working for accessibility in technology, guidelines to make websites accessible, tools, education and outreach, and research and development for Internet accessibility.
Web Accessibility Tutorial (Jim Thatcher)
In this web accessibility course, students will learn why and how to create websites that meet the Section 508 standards for website accessibility. This class targets web designers - i.e, the people who will be responsible for creating the accessible pages. Students attending this class are expected to have expert knowledge of HTML and at least intermediate knowledge of CSS.
Web-based tool to create captioning and subtitles
Universal Subtitles gives individuals, communities, and larger organizations the power to overcome accessibility and language barriers for online video. The tools are free and open source and make the work of subtitling and translating video simpler, more appealing, and, most of all, more collaborative.
World Wide Web Consortium
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential as a forum for information, commerce, communication, and collective understanding.
