RE: [SEC508] 508 Issues...

["Barrett, Don" <Don.Barrett@ed.gov>]

True Mark; some standards can be validated on their own merit, others
require assistive technology to test.  Another standards which must be
tested for by AT is the one requiring "functional text" from scripts
which is available to AT.  This can't be tested by looking at the code,
whereas most of the web standards in fact can be verified by code
examination and don't require AT intervention, although it helps a great
deal to verify with AT that the standard has been met.  Some times
though, the AT fairs even though the standard has been met.  We have
seen many tables which were coded correctly according to the standard
but which were too complex for the screen reader to render.  We passed
them anyway because they met the standard.

Don
 

-----Original Message-----
From: sec508-admin@trace.wisc.edu [mailto:sec508-admin@trace.wisc.edu]
On Behalf Of Mark D. Urban
Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 12:22 PM
To: 'Tammy Mosey'; sec508@trace.wisc.edu
Subject: RE: [SEC508] 508 Issues...

OK - some clarification for Tammy:
 
The confusion is that there are Technical Standards  (Subpart B of the
reg) which must be met.  Some of these require a characteristic:
 
e.g. 1192.22(a)  A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be
provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content).
 
For this one, you use whatever is the standard best practice of the
technology in question and insert the characteristic.  (for XHTML, this
would be the W3C spec ALT attribute)  Testing is simply identifying that
the attribute is there and conveys the information in the non-text
element.
 
Some of Subpart B requires a Function:
 
e.g. 1192.21(i) When electronic forms are used, the form shall allow
people using assistive technology to access the information, field
elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of
the form, including all directions and cues.
 
These standards require that it work with assistive technology (such as
- BUT NOT ONLY - Magic, JAWS, Zoomtext, Dragon NS, etc).   Testing for
these standards is not YES/NO, but rather "it provides the information
to AT via this mechanism (such as MSAA), and it provides all the
information needed to access the information, etc.."  You then check to
see that the information is being forwarded correctly to the AT by using
an AT product with which you are conversant, such as Magic.
 
Does that help?   Note I haven't gotten into Subpart C - the Functional
Performance Criteria.  That's a lesson for another day ;-)
 
 
Regards,
 
-Mark D. Urban 
 
919-395-8513 (cell)
Chair, North Carolina Governor's Advocacy Council for Persons with
Disabilities Keep up with the latest in worldwide accessibility at
(http://www.icdri.org/) ________________________________

From: sec508-admin@trace.wisc.edu [mailto:sec508-admin@trace.wisc.edu]
On Behalf Of Tammy Mosey
Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 11:41 AM
To: sec508@trace.wisc.edu
Subject: [SEC508] 508 Issues...
 

We are complying with the 508 standards for 1194.22 for software
development. I am a bit lost MIke, you stated in one of your notes :
"if it does not work in assistive technology, you have
> a
> major problem." THEN "It's not Tammy's responsibility to enforce 
> compliance by assistive
technologies and browsers. That is a task that the w3c doesn't even
claim."

I must test the software as part of my job , test it for 508 compliance,
and yes if it doesn't work in asst. tech, then we do have a problem, I
need to send it back to be fixed.

If its not my responsibility to enforce, by using asst. tech then how
will we know if it works for Assts. tech ?

We do follow standards 508 here. But I need to check and make sure it
was followed,: it will tab thru flash, it will tab thru questions and
answers, etc....

We follow the provisions, but if it doesnt work, then what.

Tammy













Tammy M. Mosey
Software Tester