What
is Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act?
On August 7,
1998, President Clinton signed into law the Rehabilitation Act Amendments
of 1998, which covers access to federally funded programs and services. "The law
strengthens section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and requires access
to electronic and information technology provided by the Federal
government. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop,
procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology.
Federal agencies must ensure that this technology is accessible
to employees and members of the public with disabilities to the
extent it does not pose an 'undue burden.' " Section 508 speaks
to various means for disseminating information, including computers,
software, and electronic office equipment. It applies to, but is
not solely focused on, Federal pages on the Internet or the World
Wide Web. It does not apply to web pages of private industry.
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