Application Versus Operating System Reviews

The issues behind the adoption of Section 508 and the need to comply with its provisions are primarily driven by the user interface in the area of software development. Therefore, it is much more important to review and remediate software applications rather than the operating systems on which those applications reside. A software application is only able to include functionality supported by the operating system on which it executes.

For example, an application running on Microsoft Windows is able to provide all the graphical functionality that users have come to expect from the current generation of personal computers. However, if those same users operate their computers in MS-DOS operating system mode, they are restricted to a primarily character-based environment with little graphical capabilities.

It is crucial to be aware of the software environment the user is accessing when considering and assessing conformance to Section 508.

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