Accessibility for K-State web pages: Guidelines and standards

Web Access for All Tool Kit
K-State's tool kit to assist University web developers

Accessibility defined
What accessibility means and how it affects web sites

Legal requirements
Describes K-State's federal and state legal obligations

Guidelines and standards
Links to federal, state, W3C guidelines and policies

Tools
Links to tools that can assist in achieving accessibility

Training and online tutorials
Links to classes and online training

Resources
Information about accessible emerging technologies and web-delivered curriculum

There are currently three primary sets of guidelines/standards for developing accessible web content:

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 1.0), developed by the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Access Initiative (WAI)
Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards developed by The Access Board as required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998.

The Access Board drew heavily upon the WCAG 1.0 in creating its standards. However, the two sets are not identical. The Access Board worked carefully to use language that is more consistent with enforceable regulatory language.
Federal standards/laws:
- The complete listing of the Section 508 standards covering web-based intranet and internet information and applications.
- Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 Section 508: Electronic and Information Technology
- Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act: Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines
ITEC Policy 1210: State of Kansas Web Accessibility Requirements. The State's Web Accessibility Subcommittee developed their guidelines from the WCAG 1.0 guidelines.
State guidelines:
- Guidelines by Priority (Policy 1210 Subset): This document contains the State's specific guidelines and priority designations. Many of the guidelines also have links to the W3C guidelines for expanded explanations.
- Implementation Guide (Policy 1210 Subset): This document provides a suggested timeline and strategy for implementing the guidelines on your web site.