RE: [SEC508] Two questions

["Jim Tobias" <tobias@inclusive.com>]

I don't think installation is exempted from Sec. 508, for at least one
reason: it is assumed that users with disabilities will themselves *be* the
sysadmins.  The accessibility of the installation, even though it's required
only rarely, shouldn't rule them out of a job.  As an extension of this
concept, note that Sec. 508 (1194.22m) requires that plugins/applets be
accessible, including their installation (according to many).

Here's an anecdote.  One company has huge server software products;
installing and configuring them takes days.  The problem with one
installation was that it took over the entire sysadmin's machine, making use
of a screen reader impossible.  End users would have no such problem; the
client applications were well-behaved.  Every informal chat with
"authoritative sources" indicated that this software could not be ruled as
compliant with 508.  In fact, we were told that even having to read the
online documentation on a second machine might pose an undue burden.

***********
Jim Tobias
Inclusive Technologies
tobias@inclusive.com
+732.441.0831 v/tty
www.inclusive.com
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Erika Noll Webb [mailto:ewebb@quintusdesign.com] 
> Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 5:48 PM
> To: sec508@trace.wisc.edu
> Subject: [SEC508] Two questions
> 
> I was looking at some software the other day where my 
> screenreaders wouldn't read the screens in the installation.  
> I was trying to remember if Section
> 508 made an exemption for activities like installation that 
> might be considered to be administrative functions since most 
> agencies wouldn't allow a user to install software on their 
> system without the sys admin configuring it.  Of course, I 
> can't find any reference one way or another so I thought I 
> would just ask if people on this list have seen something 
> like that.  I may be that I'm confounding this with the 
> Accessibility Evaluation Methodology paper put out by GTRI 
> that said "...primary tasks are the tasks associated with the 
> core functionality of the device. The typical uses of a 
> device involve primary tasks; these tasks may also be called 
> Priority 1 tasks.
> Secondary tasks are tasks associated with advanced features 
> or ancillary functions, and may be called Priority 2 tasks. 
> Secondary tasks are usually performed far less frequently 
> than primary tasks. Tertiary tasks are tasks that users 
> rarely perform, and might be restricted to users with special 
> training. Tertiary tasks may be called Priority 3 tasks."
> 
> Also, I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for how best 
> to search the
> sec508 list archives.  It was fairly straightforward a few 
> years back, but now when I search on Trace it only searches 
> Trace documents--it doesn't seem to search the list archives. 
>       
> Thanks,
> Erika 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> SEC508 mailing list
> SEC508@trace.wisc.edu
> http://trace.wisc.edu:8080/mailman/listinfo/sec508
> 
>