Launching the Site
Programming and Accessibility
You are ready to begin programming your site when you have your page designs, information architecture, navigation menu, and content ready. In addition to these topics, you will need to be concerned about Accessibility (Section 508).
Accessibility (Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act - 29 U.S.C. 794d) requires all Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Accessibility is an important part of the design process and should be considered throughout the entire development process.
At Usability.gov, we believe that accessibility is simply another aspect of usability. Simply put, it's making your site usable for all types of user populations. By making your Web site accessible, you are not only helping people with disabilities to be able to easily access your information, but you are improving the usability of the site for all users.
For more information on accessibility, please see the following resources:
- Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act - Read the full text from the Access Board Web site.
- Guidance for Implementing Section 508 - View the Section 508 Web site for complete information on how to meet accessibility requirements.
- Access for People with Disabilities - Learn how other agencies have worked to make their Web sites accessible.
- Synopsis of Section 508 Accessibility Requirements - Read a summary of Section 508 provided by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
- HHS Web Communications & New Media – View Section 508 standards, presentations, video, and training information.
Next Steps
Once you've begun programming your Web site, you should evaluate the usability of your site. In order to judge the usability of your site, you can have usability experts review your site and give you feedback on how to improve your site. To learn more about this, see Learn About Evaluations.
In addition to the evaluations, you'll also want to test your Web site with representative users. To learn more, see Learn About Usability Testing.
