Contact:
Alex Koudry
(202) 245-6428

The Department of Education has made a commitment to support its obligation under Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, to ensure the accessibility of its programs and activities to individuals with disabilities, specifically its obligation to acquire accessible electronic and information technology.

In May, 1995, the Office of the Chief Information Officer instituted an Assistive Technology Program to implement the use of technology to assist disabled employees and customers access to information and information systems through the personal computers on their desk top.

The Assistive Technology Program has grown to include a diversified set of services for staff, supervisors, and customers. Those services include: the assessment of individual needs to determine what barriers to information and information systems exist and the technologies available to assist in removing or reducing those barriers, the identification of technology sources, acquisition assistance, technology installation, technology training, one-on-one individual problem resolution, guidance to application Internet system developers and vendors, technology demonstrations, and the review of information systems to determine accessibility to the disabled. Today this program is considered a model and is emulated by many other federal agencies.

In August of 1998, the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 was passed re-authorizing Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This legislation requires all federal agencies to procure, develop, maintain, and use accessible electronic and information technology. The Department of Education Assistive Technology Team, in addition to providing internal support, has entered into a partnership with other key agencies forming the Federal Information Technology Accessibility Initiative to provide technical assistance and training to other federal agencies.

ED Resources:

• The Assistive Technology Brochure
• The Department of Education's Requirements for Accessible Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Design
• Section 508 Resources MSWord (44K)
• Implementing Federal Accessibility Web Standards (1194.22) MS Word (107K)
• Testing for Web Accessibility Compliance Under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• How Do Individuals with Disabilities Use the Web? MS Word (49K)
• Accessibility and Portable Document Format Files MS Word (38K)

U.S. Government Resources:

• 508 Legislation and Resources:
  • Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
    The Access Board developed accessibility standards for the various technologies covered by Section 508 and provides information, resources and technical assistance for implementing these standards.
  • Federal Section 508 Web Site
    A federal government interagency effort that offers information, technical assistance, training and resources to assist in the successful implementation of Section 508.
• DisabilityInfo.gov: Bringing Information on U.S. Federal Programs, Services, and Resources to Employers, Americans with Disabilities, and Their Families.

Non Government Organization Resources:

• For Internet publishing, there are detailed specifications and Quick Tips to make Accessible Web Sites. These resources are maintained by the W3C WAI.
• The Trace Center is a good starting point for general universal design resources, as well as specific information on topics such as consumer electronics and kiosks or Information Transaction Machines (ITMs).

Presentations

• People With Disabilities in the Federal Workforce