OUR VALUE OF STANDARDS

With the rise of the Internet, many companies have taken a hand in the market share of the Web development industry, but have left the standards and values behind. Riddle Brothers is dedicated to maintaining the W3 Specifications, state and federal (Section 508) Web accessibility standards along with Guidelines and ADA Standards for Accessible Design. 

What do these terms mean?

In short, this means that Web site visitors with any type of disability (such as hearing or vision loss), should be given an alternative Web site to visit that accommodates their needs.

Section 508 (the 1998 Amendment to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act) requires the federal government to make all goods and services—including Web pages—fully accessible. It identifies specific standards for Internet and Web accessibility, which are often used as a basis for evaluating whether or not Web sites meet accessibility requirements.

The Riddle Brothers Web Design and Development, LLC ensures that each and every Web site designed by our team, meets these standards. 

What exactly is Section 508?

In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Inaccessible technology interferes with an individual's ability to obtain and use information quickly and easily. 

The criteria for Web-based technology and information are based on access guidelines developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium. Many of these provisions ensure access for people with vision impairments who rely on various assistive products to access computer-based information, such as screen readers, which translate what's on a computer screen into automated audible output, and refreshable Braille displays. 

The standards apply to Federal Web sites but not to private sector web sites (unless a site is provided under contract to a Federal agency, in which case only that Web site or portion covered by the contract would have to comply). Accessible sites offer significant advantages that go beyond access. For example, those with "text-only" options provide a faster downloading alternative and can facilitate transmission of web-based data to cell phones and personal digital assistants.

While the standards are required only for Federal Web sites, we ensure all of our clients that their Web sites are completely compliant with the 508 requirements.

Source: http://www.section508.gov