Software products and services are accessible to the extent to which they can be effectively rendered and used by persons with disabilities who employ assistive technologies such as screen-readers, screen-magnifiers, hand-held mouse motion aids and the like. Many organizations and institutions have their own guidelines for evaluating the accessibility of their services and products. For example, the 1998 amendments to Section 508 regarding procurement by the government of electronic and information technology require that:
The law strengthens section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and requires access to electronic and information technology provided by the Federal government. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Federal agencies must ensure that this technology is accessible to employees and members of the public with disabilities to the extent it does not pose an "undue burden.The IBM Human Ability and Accessibility Center suggests the following principles for accessible software.
These 3 basic principles should be followed when developing software:
Support the user's choice of input methods including keyboard, mouse, voice, and assistive devices via the serial port. The primary requirement is to provide keyboard access (mouse-less operation) to all features and functions of the software application. The operating system usually provides support for input via the serial port, keyboard movement of the mouse pointer, and other keyboard enhancements.
Support the user's choice of output methods including display, sound, and print. The primary requirement is to provide text labels for icons, graphics, and user interface elements and to support visual indications for sounds. Proper use of accessibility APIs (e.g., Java Accessibility, Microsoft Active Accessibility, etc.) for the target platform will meet this principle.
Make the application consistent with the user's choice of system behavior, colors, fonts sizes, and keyboard settings. Provide a user interface that can be customized to accommodate the user's needs and preferences including fonts, colors, and display layout.
Please see the IBM Human Ability and Accessibility Center Developer guidelines for the criteria for accessibility in a variety of applications.