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healthfinder® is a free guide to reliable health information, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  The site provides an easy-to-use, searchable index of carefully reviewed health information from over 1,500 government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and universities. 

For Alternative Access to Web Documents

The actual information indexed by healthfinder® generally is produced by and resides on Web sites of other organizations. If you wish to request information in an alternative format pursuant to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, we recommend that you—

  • Contact the sponsoring organization listed as part of each item in any healthfinder® search results page.   For example, the sponsoring organization in this example item is the National Cancer Institute.  Just select the organization name to read its contact information in the healthfinder® database.

NCI Cancer Facts
Also available in: Spanish
A wide range of accurate, credible cancer information from peer-reviewed PDQ® summaries on state-of-the-art care, cancer fact sheets and other publications. Information is based on the results of details...
National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health

If you can not identify or contact the sponsoring organization, you may—

  • Send an e-mail to healthfinder@nhic.org, or
     
  • Write to healthfinder®, National Health Information Center, P.O. Box 1133, Washington, DC 20013-1133.
     
  • Contact the HHS Help Desk.

Synopsis of Section 508 Accessibility Requirements

Section 508 requires that when Federal agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology (EIT), Federal employees with disabilities have comparable access to and use of information and data as Federal employees who have no disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. Section 508 also requires that individuals with disabilities, who are members of the public seeking information or services from a Federal agency, have comparable access to and use of information and data as the public without disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency.

Although Federal agencies have an explicit statutory obligation to make all EIT that they develop, maintain or use compliant with Section 508, the current emphasis is on newly procured EIT because it is the category that is explicitly enforceable by legal action. Procurement awards made on or after June 25, 2001, are subject to Section 508 (see FAR Final Rule).

According to the Access Board, the Section 508 requirements do not apply retroactively to pre-existing EIT. Specifically, the "Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards: Economic Assessment," states that—

"The standards are to be applied prospectively and do not require Federal agencies to retrofit existing electronic and information technology. As agencies upgrade and change their electronic and information technology, they must comply with the standards."
(See Chapter 2.1. Final Standards)

It should be noted, however, that other Federal regulations and guidelines (e.g., Section 501 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) require equal access for individuals with disabilities. Therefore, Federal agencies are required, upon request, to provide information and data to individuals with disabilities through an alternative means of access that can be used by the individuals.

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