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| Accessible Electronic Information Technology - Section 508
Department of Veterans Affairs |
IT Web Accessibility
VA Webpage 508 Evaluation Team List FAQ
What is The VA 508 Evaluation Team all about?
The VA 508 Evaluation Team is comprised of VA employees that are visually challenged and have volunteered to evaluate the VA webpages for accessibility. With respect to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act that requires all electronic information be made accessible.
The Team has the ability to evaluate a website for accessibility but not certify it for Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. All software currently being offered to certify a website will not give you the kind of information and service the Team is capable of providing for free. In addition all the evaluations completed by the team are being archived and is readily available to the VA webmaster or the person how maintains the webpage by requesting a report. The evaluation report would have significant value in an accessibility complaint.The Team is comprised of VA employees that are visually challenged and each Team member has a skill level of intermediate to advance. They will either be using JAWS for Windows by Henter-Joyce, Window Eyes by GW Micro or IBM's Home page reader.
The opinions expressed do not represent the official position of the Department. The Team is an adhoc effort at this time and is available to anyone who wishes to have a website address evaluated.
Should I join the list?
Please join if you wish to participate in the evaluations of VA webpages. You must be using a screen read and have a skill level of intermediate to advance. But if you only wish to ask for evaluations of your web pages, you do not need to join the VA Evaluation Team.
I want to help evaluate web pages. How do I join the Team?
Send an email to VA508Eval and introduce your self to the Team. Include your skill level and the version of screen read your using.
I have web pages I would like evaluated. How do I make a request for an evaluation of my web page?
Before sending you message, please familiarize yourself with the Technical Standards at Subpart B Technical Standards for 1194.21 Software applications and operating systems and 1194.22 Web-based intranet and internet information and applications.
Then send a general description of what the webpage looks like to VA508EVAL. This information is important because the screen will not always identify or state all portion of a website i.e. graphics that roll over, buttons not tagged and table header information.
I have web pages I would like evaluated. How do I make a request for an evaluation of my web pages?
Before sending you message, please familiarize yourself with the Technical Standards at Subpart B Technical Standards for 1194.21 Software applications and operating systems and 1194.22 Web-based intranet and internet information and applications.
Then send your name, the organization you represent and routing symbol, your email address, phone number and the URL address of the webpage you want evaluated and send it to VA508EVAL.. Include a general description of what the webpage looks like. The description information is important because the screen will not always identify or state all portion of a website i.e. graphics, graphics that roll over, buttons not tagged and table information.
What will the Evaluators Do with my message?
A team of two evaluators will evaluate your website for:
When the evaluation is completed they will send their finding to VA508EVAL and the report will be forwarded to you.
What happens if the webpage is not accessible?
A webpage found not to be accessible by an evaluator will automatically be sent to a second level review person for reevaluation and verification of finding then sent to the web author with recommendations.
Can the web author communicate with the evaluators?
Yes, once the report has been sent back to the requesting web author the channels for communicating via phone or email are opened to ask questions about the report. It is encourage web authors communicate with the evaluation Team to help resolve any recommendation made by the evaluation Team.
What do I do with the evaluation findings?
The web author should enter META tags to document the date the page was checked and the names of the VA evaluators.
Where are the archives?
The evaluation are being archived and storied in two way Microsoft Outlook Email Auto Archive and Microsoft Access. A report can be provided to you in one business day from the receipt of your email request sent to VA508EVAL . In your request identify yourself, name of your organization with routing symbol. The data will be retrieved and sent to you by email.
DISCLAIMER
This online VA webpage was developed to support VA employees involved in maintaining a web site, or maintaining any web pages. The purpose of this list is to assist those writing VA webpages to make them accessible as stated in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The archive will also serve to document the Department's efforts to deliver compliant web pages to thoese with disabilities. The List is available to any VA employee who wishes to have a URL web address evaluated by a VA employee that has a skill level of intermediate to advance. They will either be using JAWS for Windows by Henter-Joyce, Window Eyes by GW Micro or IBM's Home page reader.
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The page was last updated on 07 May 2001 . Please send your program questions to Contact the VA. Send your comments on technical performance and accessibility of this particular page to Electronic & Information Technology Resources . Before you email VA, please read the VA Privacy Policy on Information Collected from E-mails and Web Forms.
