Are you making documents bound for the web accessible?

How often do your contractors or internal staff create information deliverables, like reports, that you intend to put on the web? If you plan to make reports available through a link on website, then it becomes subject to Section 508 Provisions from 1194.22, 1194.31, and 1198.41(a) apply.

• 1194.22 Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications- Some of its provisions apply to reports on the web, for example (a) providing text equivalents for non-text elements like images, (c) information conveyed with color is also available without color, (g) row and column headers for data tables, and (n) making electronic forms accessible
• 1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria- Need to assure that the document can be used with assistive technology like a screen reader.
• 1194.41(a) Information, Documentation, and Support- Reports should be provided alternate formats upon request

Additionally, if the report contains interactive elements, then 1194.21 Software and Operating Systems also applies.

Here are some reference materials that may be helpful:

• More information on the Section 508 standards can be found at Section508.gov.
• Additional Section 508 tools are available at BuyAccessible.gov. You can search for “Information Content Services” in the Quick Links.
• A documentation checklist from IBM (Note: This is not a government site.)
• An earlier Accessibility Forum 2.0 blog post on accessible PDF.