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Accessibility Policy
In
response to the need to insure equal access to electronic and
information technologies, Iowa Interactive on behalf of IowaTaxAndTags.gov has developed a set
of standards for Web page design. In recognition of those individuals
with visual, physical or developmental disabilities IowaTaxAndTags.gov
has taken steps to make government information accessible to
all.
Design Standards
IowaTaxAndTags.gov has adopted the
Design of HTML Pages to increase accessibility to users with
disabilities as the primary guideline to meet the objectives
of Section 508 compliance.
- Every
graphic image will have an "alt" tag
and a short description that is intuitive to the user. If a graphic
image is used as a navigation element, it will contain text description
and direction that is intuitive to the user.
- Every
graphic image that uses an image map, alternative text of the
hyperlink will be provided.
- The
Site will have descriptive, intuitive text links and avoid
the use of vague references such as "click," "here," "link," or "this."
- An
alternative form of access will be made available for online
forms, such as an email address or
phone number.
- The
use of frames will be avoided since they cannot be read intelligently
by screen readers, create
navigation problems
and are not supported by all browsers. IowaTaxAndTags.gov cannot
be held responsible for sites outside the network that utilize
frames.
- Tables
will include textual information displayed in a linear form
across the table, as well as cells
will be named
to aid as reference.
- Multiple
browser testing will be conducted on the various versions of
Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer.
Resources
THE
LAW
The Section 508 Web Site is an excellent source for general information,
standards, evaluation, events, and resources surrounding Section
508, which will impact electronic and information technology
on the Web.
http://www.section508.gov/
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended for the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998. The content of this document directly
relates to the Federal government and any public or private industry
contracting with the Federal government.
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/508/508law.html
Enforcing ADA compliance - The Department of Justice handles
complaints and enforcement
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/enforce.htm
Title II, Section 508 speaks directly to state, local governments
and all other public entities. This highlights page provides
a concise overview, abbreviated information on specific chapters
that must comply with ADA standards and information about the
complaint and enforcement process.
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/t2hlt95.htm
SOFTWARE UTILITIES
Sun's Java Accessibility Utilities - an excellent source of utility
classes designed to help assistive technologies interact with
Web development components.
http://java.sun.com/products/jfc/jaccess-1.2/doc/
Adobe's PDF Converter allows you to convert regular PDF files
to html. One of the required standards is providing and HTML
alternative to PDF files.
http://access.adobe.com/simple_form.html
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