| The Section 508 federal U.S. mandate requires web | | | | Priority 3, Level AAA: Mark up documents with the |
| developers to create alternative means of viewing | | | | proper structural elements. Control presentation with |
| content on websites so that people with disabilities | | | | style sheets rather than with presentation elements |
| can also experience it. When compliant with 508, web | | | | and attributes. Use style sheets to control layout and |
| content also becomes more available to all users | | | | presentation. (text from the mandate itself) |
| including those using mobile devices, laptops, voice | | | | Validation of CSS Menu Compliance with Section 508 |
| browsers etc. Therefore, while 508 compliance is | | | | of the Rehabilitation Act |
| something every company needs to be working | | | | There are several validation tools available to |
| towards by law, it also affords the same businesses | | | | software developers to determine if their products |
| certain benefits that are applicable to not only users | | | | are compliant with 508 standards. Pluginlab employed |
| with disabilities but to all potential users. | | | | several validation methodologies to ensure the |
| The use of certain types of content on a website | | | | highest level of 508 regulation compliance. These |
| makes it difficult or impossible for people without | | | | include: |
| sight or the ability to read, for example, to | | | | Cynthia Says by Highsoftware is a premium validation |
| comprehend the given content expressed. | | | | tool for 508 compliance. The software detects |
| World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Guidelines and | | | | inconsistencies between site content and Section 508 |
| Levels of Compliance | | | | standards. Pluginlab passed this validation test with |
| The W3C has been tasked with establishing levels of | | | | zero errors at levels A, AA, and AAA - validating that |
| Section 508 compliance based on the regulations set | | | | Pluginlab CSS menus comply with all accessibility |
| forth in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. | | | | ratings. |
| It is not always easy to retro-engineer existing | | | | WAVE by WebAim is used to assist developers and |
| software to comply with Section 508 regulations. The | | | | designers in the creation of software with AAA level |
| W3C - an impartial group of web and Internet | | | | 508 compliance. All Pluginlab modules passed without |
| authorities. To help companies work towards | | | | error at level AAA compliance, putting it in a singular |
| compliance sequentially rather than all at once, the | | | | class of software. |
| W3C has broken the law into three priority levels: A, | | | | Site Valet by WebThing provides diagnostics for |
| AA and AAA. | | | | forms, scripts, HTTP, mark-up analysis and |
| Levels of 508 Compliance: | | | | processing, HTML, XML, EARL, Link Checking and spell |
| Priority 1, Level A: Provide content that, when | | | | checking. All Pluginlab modules passed validation with |
| presented to the user, conveys essentially the same | | | | zero errors at levels A, AA and AAA. Once again, a |
| function or purpose as auditory or visual content. This | | | | third validation that Pluginlab CSS Menu Modules |
| guideline emphasizes the importance of providing text | | | | simplify compliance with 508 regulations. |
| equivalents of non-text content (images, | | | | CSS menus in particular are becoming a primary |
| pre-recorded audio, video). (text from the mandate | | | | means of navigating a website's many pages and |
| itself) | | | | thus are a key component in 508 compliance. CSS |
| Priority 2, Level AA: Ensure that text and graphics | | | | menus that provide the necessary support should |
| are understandable when viewed without color and | | | | include such features as keyboard-only support, voice |
| that all information conveyed with color is also | | | | and text reader support and so on. In turn, this level |
| available without color, for example from context or | | | | of compliance will also help with search engine |
| markup. (text from the mandate itself) | | | | optimization of site pages containing CSS menus. |