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Electronic and Information Technology Access Advisory Committee Final Report May 12, 1999

History:

1. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was written to prohibit employment discrimination by the Federal government.
2. Section 508 was written and added to the Rehabilitation Act in 1986. It was added to ensure that access to electronic and information technology would also be covered in this law.
3. However, there was no enforcement mechanism in Section 508, so it went virtually unnoticed in many segments of Federal government. In 1997, new legislation was written to strengthen and enforce the objectives of 508.
4. This new legislation was ultimately inserted into the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and was also added as a new Section 508 into the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998.
5. The law directed the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) to develop and publish standards by February 7, 2000. The standards would
   • define "electronic and information technology", and
   • specify the criteria necessary to achieve electronic and information access.
   These "Section 508 Standards" were indeed published on December 21, 2000.

6. The law also directed the Access Board to consult with
   • representatives of Federal agencies,
   • the electronic and information technology industry, and
   • organizations representing individuals with disabilities
   in the course of developing the new Section 508 standards. This is where the Electronic and Information Technology Access Advisory Committee finally comes in! This committee was formed to do the previously mentioned consulting, hence this report for the Access Board.