Section 508 Web Compliance: Overview of New GPR

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Section 508 Web Compliance Overview of New GPR

• Courtney Smith
• GSFC Section 508 Web Coordinator
• January 25, 2006

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GPR2800.1 GSFC Section 508 Web Compliance

• Signed Oct 6, 2005
• Applies to all public and internal GSFC Web sites
  and Web applications hosted on the nasa.gov
  network by, or for, GSFC under contracts, grants,
  or other agreements.
• Enables better enforcement of this Federal
  requirement.
• Gives GSFC a formal process for web sites or web
  applications to be reviewed or tested for Section
  508compliance.
• Provides metrics by which GSFC's degree of
  Section 508 compliance can be measured.
• Improves communication between the Web
  Accessibility Coordinator and those responsible
  for GSFC Web sites and Web applications.

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ResponsibilitiesWeb developer

• Shall perform Section 508 Web Compliance Tests
  for new or redesigned Web sites
• Shall correct any Section 508 compliance problems
  found in new or existing sites.
• Shall ensure a Web site passes a Section 508 Web
  Compliance Test before it is made available to
  users.
• Is accountable to the Responsible NASA Official
  (RNO).

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ResponsibilitiesWeb curator

• Should test existing and updated Web pages for
  Section 508 compliance.
• Shall correct any Section 508 compliance problems
  found in new or existing sites.
• Shall ensure an updated Web page is Section 508
  compliant before it is made available to users.
• Is accountable to the RNO.

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ResponsibilitiesResponsible NASA Official (RNO)

• Shall ensure a successful Section 508 Compliance
  Test is performed before a new or
• Redesigned Web site is made available to users.
• Shall notify the SDB when a Web site has passed
  and is ready for use.
• If the Web site is public or internal with
  significant impact, the RNO or designee shall
  receive approval from the GSFC Web Accessibility
  Coordinator before the Web site is made available
  to users.
• Shall ensure problems found in existing Web pages
  are corrected within the timeframe
• Agreed upon by the RNO and the Web Accessibility
  Coordinator.

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ResponsibilitiesWeb Accessibility Coordinator

• shall notify the RNO when a Web site (both public
  and internal with significant impact) has been
  found to be Section 508 compliant.
• shall follow up by granting approval to make it
  available to users.
• shall assist developers and curators to bring
  their Web sites into Section 508 compliance.
• may remove an existing Web site with an
  uncorrected Section 508 compliance problem from
  the network.
• shall approve Section 508 Web accessibility
  testing tools.

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ResponsibilitiesSystems Development Branch

• shall notify the Web Accessibility Coordinator
  when a RNO or designee has requested approval to
  make a Public Web site or an internal Web site
  with significant impact available to users.
• shall periodically review existing Web sites and
  Web applications for Section 508 compliance.
• determines the schedule of reviews for existing
  Web sites.
• shall notify the RNO and curator of any Section
  508 compliance issues discovered in these
  reviews.
• develops and maintains the GSFC Section 508 Web
  accessibility checklist found on the GSFC Section
  508 Web site.

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Procedures - Existing Web Sites and Web
Applications

• SDB shall review existing Web sites for Section
  508 compliance.
• SDB shall notify the RNO and curator of any
  Section 508 compliance problems.
• Developer or curator shall correct identified
  problems.
• Assistance is readily available if problems
  cannot be immediately corrected.
• A timeframe will be mutually agreed upon in which
  compliance will be reached.
• The site may be taken off-line if
• No effort is made to correct the problems.
• Changes are not made within the agreed upon
  timeframe.
• Taking a site off-line
• Will not occur prior to CSO, RNO, and Curator
  notification
• Is likely done at the server level
• May bring down other sites on that server as well
• Is only used as a last resort

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Procedures - New Web Sites

• Two types of internal Web sites
• low impact (fewer than 500 users per year)
• significant impact (500 or more users per year).
  
• New public Web sites and new internal Web sites
  with significant impact shall be Section 508
  compliant
• Need GSFC Web Accessibility Coordinator's
  approval before being made available to users.
• If a Web site needs public access during
  development, a timeframe can be agreed upon in
  which it shall be brought into compliance.
• If compliance is not reached within that
  timeframe, public access shall be revoked.

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Procedures - New internal Web sites and Web
applications with low impact

• shall be Section 508 compliant
• do not need GSFC Web Accessibility Coordinator's
  approval before being made available to users.
• Developers shall use the following before new Web
  sites can be made available to users
• GSFC Section 508 Web Accessibility Checklist
• an approved evaluation tool
• Certification of compliance
• the RNO or designee shall send an e-mail message
  to access_at_webmaster.gsfc.nasa.gov
• The RNO must request GSFC Web Accessibility
  Coordinator's approval for Web sites which are
  public or internal with significant impact.

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Procedures - Web Site Redesigns and Updates

• Whenever a Web site undergoes a redesign
• Developer should use checklist and evaluation
  tool to find and fix problems.
• RNO or designee shall certify Section 508
  compliance

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Section 508 Exemptions and Waivers

• Section 508 provides four exemptions for
  electronic and information technology
• Electronic and information technology acquired by
  a contractor incidental to a Federal contract.
• Electronic and information technology for a
  national security system (defined by
  Clinger-Cohen Act).
• Electronic and information technology located in
  spaces frequented only by service personnel for
  maintenance, repair or occasional monitoring of
  equipment.
• Electronic and information technology that would
  impose an undue burden on the agency.
• None of these exemptions are applicable to GSFC
  Web sites or Web applications.
• Machine-to-machine Web sites or - Web
  applications with no human users are not covered
  by Section 508.
• There are no waivers for Section 508 compliance.

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Best Practices

• Start using 508 resources from the beginning.
• Familiarize yourself with the Section 508
  guidelines (access-board.gov, ETC.)
• Consider how you want your site to work and how
  these rules impact that.
• The 508 checklist (at http//web508.gsfc.nasa.gov)
  will be a useful tool from now through the
  development process.
• With a representative sampling of pages, use an
  evaluation tool (listed at http//web508.gsfc.nasa
  .gov (some are free).
• Continue using checklist and evaluation tools
  throughout development.
• Remember Changes to a site's design may change
  how compliant it is.
• GSFC Web Accessibility Coordinator is always
  available for questions..
• Make sure compliance is tested rigorously it's
  the law, like IT security, privacy, export
  control, ETC.
• Contact the CASB help desk for an official
  Section 508 review when beginning test phase.
• The goal is to have a compliant and accessible
  site by the time you reach your set go-live
  deadline.
• Please do not wait until the last minute to have
  a site examined.
• It's much easier and cost effective to make
  changes ahead of time.

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Review process

• - Contact CASB Helpdesk at 6-9508 or
  adb-support_at_listserv.gsfc.nasa.gov to request an
  official 508 review
• Please provide the following information
• Site URL
• username / password if needed
• adequate contact info
• The reviewer will
• contact the customer informing him/her that the
  request has been received.
• familiarize him/herself with the site,
• begin testing, using assistive technology and
  evaluation tools.
• keep in contact with the customer as testing
  progresses.
• will pass along any compliance problems found and
  suggested remedies.
• The developer or curator shall correct identified
  problems.
• Assistance is readily available if problems
  cannot be immediately corrected.
• A timeframe will be mutually agreed upon in which
  compliance will be reached.
• To complete the review, the reviewer will
• notify all concerned when the site has been found
  to be Section 508 compliant.
• follow up by granting approval to make it
  available to users.

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Resources

• GPR2800.1 GSFC Section 508 Web Compliance
• http//gdms.gsfc.nasa.gov
• http///web508.gsfc.nasa.gov
• Agency Section 508 Web site
• www.section508.nasa.gov
• General Section 508 info
• www.access-board.gov
• www.section508.gov

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Contact Info

• Courtney Smith, GSFC Web Accessibility
  Coordinator
• Phone [phone]
• E-mail Courtney.L.Smith_at_nasa.gov
• Web Site http//web508.gsfc.nasa.gov