IT Accessibility Checklist Help

Checklist Item: When we purchase computer hardware, we take steps to assure it is accessible.

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The Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards, developed by the federal Access Board as required by 1998 amendments to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, includes standards for desktop and portable computers.

There are four standards, paraphrased below:

• Products' controls should be tactilely discernible and operable by users with various levels of hand mobility, including grasping, pinching, and twisting.
• Touchscreens or touch-operated controls should also comply with the above.
• When biometric forms of user identification or control are used, an alternative form of identification or activation that does not require the user to possess particular biological characteristics shall also be provided.
• Expansion slots, ports, and connectors should comply with publicly available industry standards, in order to support assistive technologies.

Educational entities can ensure that their purchases are accessible by building accessibility considerations into their purchasing guidelines or requirements and/or implementing policies that require such considerations.

The following AccessIT Knowledge Base articles may also be of interest:

For additional information, contact your region's ADA & IT Center at 1-800-949-4232.