Scope

Compliance

Policy Statement

Roles & Responsibilities

Guidance

1.      Only address visual impaired.

2.      All Executive Branch Agencies

1.      Legislated (Act 1227of 1999

2.      Required statement of compliance

1.      Department of Information Systems offers a model set of guidelines

2.      Agencies must meet minimum standards, as required by Act 1227

3.      In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Arkansas Act 1227 of 1999, it is the policy of Arkansas State Government to make information available on state web sites accessible, as much as possible, to persons with disabilities. Arkansas State Government is committed to providing effective web-based information resources, services, and communication to all visitors of its web site.

4.      These web-based information services should be, to the extent possible, equally effective for persons with and without disabilities. This policy is not intended to require changes in online content; the intent is to ensure that information and services available to online users with disabilities are effective and useful.

5.       A web site must be able to pass, at minimum, the "BOBBY" level one compliance test or demonstrate in a manual test that it meets or exceeds the Nonvisual Standards for the State of Arkansas

6.      This policy does not cover accessibility of pages not hosted or otherwise controlled by Arkansas State Government web sites. Arkansas State Government web pages may include links to pages authored and hosted on other sites. Arkansas State Government entities may attempt to notify authors/owners of such "off-site" web pages of any known accessibility deficiencies, but are not in any way required to enforce accessibility requirements upon authors/owners of web sites not under their control.

1.      The Department of Information Systems is not responsible for enforcing or policing the accessibility of external web pages

2.      Agencies are responsible for the compliance of their own web sites

3.      Agency to make sure any web development or hosting contracts contain the Technology Access Clause

4.      Web page authors and those persons authorizing the posting of web pages must ensure that those pages incorporate features to provide substantially the same information and navigational flexibility for persons with visual impairments, as for others

1.      Policy provides recommended procedures for making Web Pages accessible and resources.

2.      Accessibility Architecture Principles:

§        Emerging technologies that improve accessibility will be utilized

§        Agencies must be prepared to provide accessibility when needed

§        Compatibility increases accessibility

§        Separate the presentation layer from the content layer.

Scope

Compliance

Policy Statement

Roles & Responsibilities

Guidance

All Executive Branch Agencies

Currently in Draft form

To provide an accessibility model in which web content authors, format designers, and software developers within State agencies understand their roles in providing persons with disabilities, access to existing and developing State web sites. The following web page designs and features for completing the accessibility model are to be addressed for all Stateweb sites. (Note specific instructions for some of the following are contained within the policy.)

§        Graphics

§        Color Contrast

§        Moving content

§        Downloadable files

§        Repetitive Content

§        Data Tables

§        Multimedia

§        Image Maps

§        Style Sheets

§        Forms

§        Scripts

§        Applets & Plug-ins

§        Frames

§        Keyboard Control

§        Text-Only Pages

§        Biometric Identification

§        Equivalent Facilitation

1.      The Budget Unit Chief Executive Officer (CEO), working in conjunction with the Budget Unit Chief Information Officer (CIO), shall be responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of Statewide Information Technology Policy, Standards & Procedures within each Agency.

2.      It is the responsibility of each agency to remain current with the development of accessible information technology through their ADA/508 Coordinators.

Guidance is addressed in separate documents which is currently in rough draft form.

Scope

Compliance

Policy Statement

Roles & Responsibilities

Guidance

1.      All State agencies

2.      Blind & Visually Impaired

Compliance requirements for Colorado IT Accessibility Standards go into effect July 1, 2001.  State agencies will need to ensure IT Accessibility Standards compliance on their web sites only when developing new web pages and web sites, or when changes are made to web pages.  Changes to web pages are defined as “every time a file is written/re-written to the server.”

1.      House Bill 00-1269 required the IMC to develop on or before February 1, 2001, standards that provide blind or visually impaired individuals with access to information stored electronically by State agencies and ensure compatibility with adaptive technology systems.

2.      Colorado IT Accessibility Standards require compliance at the Priority 1 level, i.e. alt tags, tables, and colors.  BOBBY reports provide feedback on Priority 1, 2, and 3 levels – only Priority 1 is required.

1.      Web masters and designers completed the 2-Day Accessibility Training for “train-the-trainers” provided to State agencies

2.      Effective Ways of Testing Guidance provided

3.      Provides detail standards.

Scope

Compliance

Policy Statement

Roles & Responsibilities

Guidance

All agencies and branches of State Government.

To comply with this policy, agencies must  be able to demonstrate two things:

1.      that they have achieved  WCAG Conformance Level "A" which means that all Priority 1 checkpoints are satisfied

2.      that they have successfully addressed all the items in the CMAC Checklist of Design Requirements

Agency webmasters are encouraged, but not required at this time, to achieve WCAG Conformance Level "AA".

There does not appear to be a mandatory compliance date.

1.      It is the policy of the State of Connecticut that information and services on Connecticut State Government Web Sites are/be designed to be accessible to people with disabilities.

2.      The ConneCT Management Advisory Committee (CMAC) has adopted the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 W3C Recommendation 5-May-1999 (WCAG) as the primary guideline to meet the objectives of the Universal Accessibility for State Web Sites policy.

It is the responsibility of the agency and its web page developers to become familiar with the guidelines for achieving universal accessibility and to apply these principles in designing and creating any official State of Connecticut Website.

1.      Policy provides a set of established guidelines adopted by the ConneCT Management Advisory Committee (CMAC) and a checklist of design requirements which provides a quick reference for numerous design issues. Additional references can be found on the CMAC Accessibility Web Site

2.      Provides a detail check list.

3.      Note:  Connecticut has a Web Accessibility Work Group that has been operational for well over a year.  They provided training in the form of a seminar.

Delaware does not appear to have an official policy.  However their Web site contains the following Web Accessibility Statement.  If they have a policy is not published at their Web site.

Through its Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), the World Wide Web Consortium is promoting a greater degree of Web access

 for people with disabilities. To help support this effort, the Delaware.gov Web Portal was constructed to comply with the

 accessibility guidelines developed through the WAI.  This Portal has achieved Level AA compliance with the WAI's accessibility

 guidelines -- meaning that all priority 2 checkpoints were adhered to in its construction.

 In addition, the State of Delaware, through the Electronic Government Steering Committee, will promulgate standards for all

 state agency web sites to ensure maximum accessibility and compliance with WAI guidelines.   Over time, the state agency

 pages that can be reached through the Delaware.gov Web Portal will come into greater compliance with the standards developed

 through the WAI. To view the standards currently being developed for Delaware agencies, visit the Delaware Government

 Information Center web site.

 The Delaware.gov Web Portal has been designed to be compatible with a variety of web browsers and operating systems.  In

 addition, to enhance the accessibility of the Delaware.gov site as well as other State of Delaware web content, a suite of

 services and resources is available free of charge to agencies and citizens through the Accessibility Central web site.

Scope

Compliance

Policy Statement

Roles & Responsibilities

Guidance

No compliance conditions.

1.      State agencies must ensure that the functionality provided in the inaccessible site must have an equivalent alternative in the accessible site. A delay in response or receipt of information due to this alternative page may place the agency in violation of federal disability statutes, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, which can pose serious legal consequences.

2.      It is expected that all state agency web pages developed subsequent to the publishing of these standards will incorporate the minimum requirements into their design. As existing web pages are updated, agencies must ensure that the updated pages meet these requirements. The standards should supplement individual agencies' web publishing guidelines. However, to ensure accessibility, these standards may have to supercede individual agency guidelines.

1.      Detailed standards to ensure access to state web pages for everyone.

2.      Standards are based on the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Each W3C guideline was evaluated for applicability to the Commonwealth's environment and modified where necessary to fit within our framework

Minnesota provides a web site with lots of information and resources relating to accessibility but does not appear to have a policy.  Their approach to compliance appears to be voluntary.

Scope

Compliance

Policy Statement

Roles & Responsibilities

Guidance

All State Agencies

One Year from date of policy.

1.      . It is the policy of the State that persons with disabilities have access to information - via the World Wide Web - which is equivalent to that available to persons without disabilities.

2.      Each agency is responsible for applying the most current version of these guidelines in the design, creation and maintenance of any official New York State agency web site. It is expected that the guidelines will be applied to all newly developed content/pages effective immediately. Existing content/pages should be prioritized and modified over time (but no later than one year from the date of this technology policy*). Web content shall conform with level "A," satisfying all priority one checkpoints. In addition, each site must have a contact mechanism so individuals who might have trouble accessing any portion of the site can report the problem.

Agency Heads and Commissioners are required to designate a staff person to be responsible for implementing this policy. This responsibility includes dissemination of the W3C Guidelines and subsequent updates to appropriate persons. Appropriate persons include, but are not limited to, all New York State agency staff who are responsible for Web site and/or Web content development and any consultant or vendors who develop Web sites and/or content for a New York State agency web site. The guidelines are attached. Agencies are responsible for monitoring the W3C site for updates..

The State of New York has adopted the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as a means to provide optimal access to State agency web sites and the content therein.

Scope

Compliance

Policy Statement

Roles & Responsibilities

Guidance

All State Agencies

1.      New web sites must utilize this standard 6 months after adoption.

2.      Existing Web sites must meet the standard 18 months after adoption.

1.      Utilize the latest version of the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Provides a set of recommended guidelines for State developers, designers, procurement officers and commercial suppliers of electronic and information technology and services that will result in access to and use of the technology and information by all individuals, especially those with disabilities. This Chapter represents minimally acceptable standards. All entities involved in the design, production, and procurement process of relevant electronic and information technology are strongly encouraged to go beyond these standards to maximize the accessibility and usability of products by all individuals.

Scope

Compliance

Policy Statement

Roles & Responsibilities

Guidance

All Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Web sites

All agencies under the Governor's jurisdiction shall ensure their existing agency websites comply with the above accessibility guidelines by June 30, 2001.  As agencies build, development  and/or enhance their current website, they shall comply with these guidelines.

(Roughly 9 months from issuance of policy)

1.      Web authors should conform to the “Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0” established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Skilled Web designers can follow these guidelines and still develop aesthetically appealing and highly functional Web sites. The partial list below provides an overview of the key requirements.

2.      Web Developers should also become familiar with “Proposed Standards for Federal Electronic and Information Technology” published by the Federal Access Board (http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/nprm.htm).

1.      Agency heads are responsible for all information provided to the public through web technology. Protection of the integrity of this information is also the responsibility of the agency head.  Executive management shall be involved in the development and management of the Web Sites. 

2.      Agencies are required to have Web Development Teams consisting of representation from management, legal, program, IT and public information office.

Key Accessibility Design Components.  (Provides a list of 17 Components, see web site)

Scope

Compliance

Policy Statement

Roles & Responsibilities

Guidance

All State Agencies

Issued by regulation The rule is being revised to comply with the new federal Access Board standards.  The initial rule provide approximately 4 months for implementation.

1.      The home page of all state Web sites, and any new or changed key public entry points, shall meet the definition of a generally accessible Internet site and the following guidelines:  Generally accessible Internet site is defined as a state Web site that complies with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for persons with visual disabilities promulgated by the W3C; contains no priority 1 errors; and complies with HTML standards published by the W3C.

The regulations provide general guidance only.  In addition, the rule provides guidance on other Internet topics such as privacy and security.