Section 508 Report to Congress and President

section 508

Section 508 Report 2023

This report looks at CFO Act Agencies and their progress or lack of in web conformance.

In Brief Summary

  • PDFs are still a problem with only 30% of pdfs accessible
  • 14% of agencies do not test intranet pages
  • Only 2 agencies consider themselves “Measured” in all five maturity areas (e.g. FCC and SEC)
  • Conforming pages increased 0.6%
  • Non-conforming increased 13%
  • 90% (58 agencies) have an accessibility statement
  • Among the “top 10 downloads,” 77% were PDFs
  • Among the PDF documents, 20% were conformant
  • Among the 57% non-conformant PDFs*
    27% were found to contain at least one issue
    73% of the PDF documents were untagged
section 508 program maturity

section 508 program maturity

Preamble

Section 508 Report to the President and Congress: Accessibility of Federal Electronic and Information Technology

The Department of Justice and the General Services Administration submit this Section 508 Report to the President and Congress: Accessibility of Federal Electronic and Information Technology to Congress and the President pursuant to the reporting requirement in 29 U.S.C. §794d(d)(2).

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies to ensure that their information and communication technology (ICT) is accessible to people with disabilities unless certain exceptions apply. Specifically, Section 508 requires federal agencies to ensure that ICT they develop, procure, maintain, or use allows employees with disabilities and individuals with disabilities who are members of the public to have access to and use of information and data.

This access should be comparable to that available to employees and members of the public without disabilities.1

Section 508 requires the Attorney General to submit to the President and Congress reports containing information on and recommendations regarding the state of federal department and agency compliance with Section 508.2 The last such report was submitted by the Department of Justice in 2012. Since 2013, however, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the
General Services Administration (GSA) have led a program to track federal agency efforts to maintain accessible ICT and improve management of Section 508 programs. Beginning in December 2013 and continuing every six months thereafter, GSA has collected and analyzed data provided by all 24 Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act federal agencies, which are required to participate, as well as additional agencies that choose to participate, concerning the accessibility of their ICT.3 The Department of Justice and GSA have worked together to submit this report based on data from February, 2021 through August, 2022 that was collected and analyzed by GSA.


Here is the download link for full document

2023 section_508_report_to_the_president_and_congress_2023-compressed


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WCAG 2.2 Checklist – Draft

WCAG Standard image

WCAG 2.2 Checklist

Noted on W3C website – What’s New in WCAG 2.2 – Interesting inputs from “personas” and navigating a website. Typical “disabilities” include repetitive stress injury, low contrast for seniors. Repetitive stress injury persona using speech recognition software, hand tremors, supermarket user with cognitive disorder. Thanks to William Goren.

For an introduction to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and more about versions 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2, see the WCAG Overview.

WCAG 2.2 is scheduled to be completed and published in April 2023. Current versions:

Changes from WCAG 2.1 to WCAG 2.2.

  • 2.4.7 Focus Visible is changed from Level AA in WCAG 2.1 to Level A in WCAG 2.2.
  • 4.1.1 Parsing is obsolete and removed from WCAG 2.2. More information is in the WCAG 2 FAQ.
  • The WCAG 2.2 Draft provides 9 additional success criteria from WCAG 2.1. They are included on this page.
Page Contents

ADA Canada – CSA Standards for Interactive Devices Updated

ADA Canada

Accessible design for self-service interactive devices including automated banking machines

CSA of Canada released their updated B651 standards in December for Canada. It applies to self-service interactive devices including ABMs and ATMs.  It is aimed at banks and is a close representation of what the modern ABMs in Canada incorporate (compared to 2009). Updating the standards to reflect better what is deployed. The 2009 set of standards had IBM as the chair. 2022 has Diebold as Chair.  Not often you see Swipe readers in banking these days.

The title seems inverted. Maybe should be — Accessible design for ABMs and including self-service interactive device

Resources

  • The standards are free to download. Here is the link
  • For reference ATMIA has an ADA document for accessibility. Last updated in 2017 and accessible for members only.
  • The ADAtile site has good references to ADA Canada, and we almost used their graphic.

Summary Points

  • Committees have one industry person (non-voting) for ATMs who also serves as Chair for Subcommittee.
  • A couple of banks are represented
  • Word Counts
    • 75 – Key (includes keypad, key, keyboard, etc)
    • 35 – Audio
    • 31 – Self-Service
    • 30 – Reader (swipe, dip, barcode, etc)
    • 28 – Voice
    • 22 – Tactile
    • 15 – Touch
    • 9 – Privacy
    • 9 – Contactless
    • 8 – Braille
    • 7 – ABM & ATM
    • 6 – Biometrics
    • 1 – kiosk
    • 1 – enclosure (stability)
    • 1 – WCAG (Contrast Requirements)
    • 1 – Screen Reader
    • 1 – Mobile
    • 0 — Bitcoin
    • 0 – *attended*. We were looking for definitions of self-service and “unattended”. Europe adds “semi-attended” to attended and unattended self-service for example
    • 2 – recommend* – just knee and toe space for ABM

Demographics

More than one in five Canadians aged 15 and over — an estimated 6.2 million people, or 22% of the adult population — has one or more disabilities (S. Morris, G. Fawcett, L. Brisebois and J. Hughes. November 2018). The highest rate of disability occurs in the age group 75 and over, where almost one-half of men and women report a disability.

Statistics Canada reports that the median age of Canada’s population continues to climb, with the average age of Canadians reaching 41.7 years (Statistics Canada, 2021), the median age is one of many indicators that signifies the December 2022 population is aging. It is expected that the proportion of people aged 65 and over will continue to increase, with the advancing age of the large baby boomer cohort. Shifts in population size within various age groups have far-reaching social,  economic, and policy impacts. The number of individuals within an age group has a profound effect on the demand for products and services. People with disabilities and older people are coalescing as an economic and social force and constitute a significant portion of the consumer market. Therefore, it makes good business sense to increase access for all customers.

Benefits

Accessibility is an important consideration in the design of products, systems, environments, and facilities because it affects usability for people with the widest possible range of capabilities. Many accessibility features benefit those who do not have a disability by enhancing usability and providing possibilities for customized design. For example, taking into account the needs of people who are partially sighted helps all users trying to read a display in poor lighting conditions or without their reading glasses. Involving users with a range of abilities during the design and development phase can reduce development time and costs and ensure the early detection of problems, thus avoiding expensive redesign. Improvements implemented during the design phase are less costly than those implemented after production.

Accessible design also helps organizations and businesses develop or maintain global markets by making their products compliant with legal accessibility requirements in force in other countries. For example, accessible design is a requirement for acceptance into the U.S. market (e.g., under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973). Accessible design is also covered by European Commission Mandates M/273 and M/283.

Scope

This Standard specifies technical requirements applicable to the design, manufacture, site preparation, and installation of self-service interactive devices.

This Standard does not cover
a) physical environment of drive-through self-service interactive devices; and
b) websites and web applications that are beyond the control of the service provider and accessed from public devices.

About this edition

This is the first edition of CSA/ASC B651.2, Accessible design for self-service interactive devices including automated banking machines. It supersedes the second edition of CSA B651.1, published in 2009 under the title Accessible design for automated bank machines, and the first edition of CSA B651.2, published in 2007 under the title Accessible design for self service interactive devices. This new edition of CSA/ASC B651.2 includes the following major changes:
a) consolidation of CSA B651.1 and CSA B651.2, as noted above, into one new standard;
b) updates to the contents of both standards noted above; and
c) improvements to the standard on access to devices.
This Standard is intended to be used in conjunction with CAN/CSA-B651.

Here is the outline for the doc. Begins on page 10 of 80

Contents

CSA Technical Committee on Accessibility
6
CSA Subcommittee on Accessible Design for Self-Service
Interactive Devices and ABMs 11
Preface
14
0 Introduction 16
0.1 Legislation 16
0.2 Demographics 16
0.3 Benefits 17
0.4 Copyright permissions
18
1 Scope 18
1.1 Purpose 18
1.2 Application 18
1.3 Limitations 19
1.4 Terminology 19
1.5 Alt text 19
2 Reference publications
3 Definitions
19
21
4 Design requirements 25
4.1 General 25
4.1.1 Design requirements compliance 25
4.1.2 Language 25
4.2 Functional performance of interactive devices
4.2.1 Instructions 26
4.2.2 Output 26
4.2.3 Important notifications 26
4.2.4 Customization 26
4.2.5 Input 26
4.2.6 Simultaneous access 26
4.2.7 Physical operation of controls 27

5 External and internal access 27
5.1 Parking 27
5.2 Signage 27
5.2.1 International Pictogram of Access
5.2.2 Signs 28
5.2.3 Tactile signs 28
5.3 Exterior route 28
5.4 Interior route 28
27
6 Lighting 28
6.1 General 28
6.2 User space 29
6.3 Interface panel 29
7 Doors 29
7.1 General 29
7.2 Security access for door entry
29
8 User space 30
8.1 General 30
8.1.1 Headroom and protruding objects
8.1.2 User operating space 30
8.2 Floor surfaces 30
8.3 Lineup guides 30
8.4 Ambient noise 30
8.5 Waste receptacle 31
9 Installation 31
9.1 Approach and reach 31
9.1.1 General 31
9.1.2 Forward approach clearances
9.1.3 Reach distances 31
9.2 Protruding objects 32
9.2.1 General 32
9.2.2 Protrusion distance 32
9.3 Grab bar 32
9.4 Shelf 32
December 2022
30
31

9.5
Site installation manuals
32
10 Hardware components 33
10.1 General 33
10.1.1 Interface 33
10.1.2 Height of controls 33
10.1.3 Biometrics 33
10.2 Enclosure stability 34
10.3 Displays 34
10.3.1 Position of monitors 34
10.3.2 Touch screen displays 34
10.3.3 Privacy filter 34
10.4 Insertion slots 35
10.4.1 Slot location assistance 35
10.4.2 Media insertion orientation 35
10.4.3 Tapering 35
10.5 Card reader 35
10.5.1 General 35
10.5.2 Motorized readers 36
10.5.3 Flatbed document scanners 36
10.5.4 Barcode scanners 36
10.5.5 Swipe readers 37
10.5.6 Dip readers 37
10.6 Dispensers 37
10.6.1 Identification 37
10.6.2 Slot dispenser 37
10.6.3 Tray, pocket, or bin dispensers 38
10.7 Data entry devices 38
10.7.1 General 38
10.7.2 Keys for keypads and keyboards 38
10.7.3 Function keys 40
10.7.4 Audio interface 41
10.8 Contactless identification and authentication
10.8.1 Card or device clearance 41
10.8.2 Indication of location 42
11 Software42
11.1 General 42
11.2 Colour contrast 42
11.2.1 Contrast requirements 42
11.2.2 Colour coding 42
11.3 Input/control devices and input feedback
11.3.1 Accidental activation 42
11.3.2 Adjustable time 42
11.3.3 Feedback 43
11.3.4 Confirmation 43
11.3.5 Warning tones 43
11.3.6 Warning information 43
11.4 User options 43
11.5 Audio output sequence 43
11.6 Dynamic display of information 44
11.6.1 Long text 44
11.6.2 Background 44
11.6.3 Advertising 44
11.6.4 Font 44
11.6.5 Written text and instructions 45
11.6.6 Graphics and video 45
11.7 Audio 46
11.7.1 Automatic initiation 46
11.7.2 Order of instructions 46
11.7.3 Frequency 46
11.7.4 Voices 47
11.7.5 Abbreviations 47
11.7.6 Numbers 47
11.7.7 Coordination of information 47
11.7.8 Repeated instructions 47
11.7.9 Advertising 47
11.7.10 Audio interruption 47
11.8 Printed output 47

Information

CSA/ASC B651.2:22
National Standard of Canada

Title: Accessible design for self-service interactive devices including automated banking machines. To register for e-mail notification about any updates to this publication
• go to www.csagroup.org/store/
• click on Product Updates

The List ID that you will need to register for updates to this publication is 2430258. If you require assistance, please e-mail techsupport@csagroup.org or call 416-747-2233. Visit CSA Group’s policy on privacy at www.csagroup.org/ legal to find out how we protect your personal information.

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ADA Committee Chairpersons for KMA Announced

Kiosk Manufacturer Association with ADA, NRF, and Emergency Kiosk updates

EASTLAKE, Colo.Oct. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — The Kiosk Manufacturer Association (aka KMA) is pleased to announce the appointments of inaugural Chairpersons for the ADA and Accessibility Committee.

Laura Miller of KioWare (https://kioware.com) and Randy Amundson of Frank Mayer, Inc. (https://frankmayer.com) have been named as Co-Chairperson for the ADA and Accessibility Committee. Both Laura and Randy have extensive experience in both software and hardware aspects of self-service technology and how assistive technology best serves the public.

The Kiosk ADA and Accessibility Committee includes:

As of 2015, according to U.S. Census surveys, over 12% of all persons in the United States have some type of disability and that number is growing.

To help address disabilities and the ADA regulations, the KMA has recently released a proposed framework for Voice Recognition and Speech Command.  Working with the U.S. Access Board directly, the KMA is hopeful that a proposed Code-of-Practice can be adopted for this type of assistive technology. Public comment and working group participation is encouraged and only requires expertise and experience.

This is intended for global adoption with much of the input by the UK’s Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

In another related public service, the KMA recently released a white paper describing emergency alert and detection technologies for public terminals for use in education, government, retail, transportation, hospitality and entertainment segments. Smart City and smart transportation are target markets. Mission critical public safety tools are the proposed end solution.

The purpose of the document is to define how Wayfinding Technology, Digital Signage and Kiosks can be networked and used to detect and/or prevent active shooter and mass casualty attacks and expedite the response of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services First Responders to catastrophic events in large public venues. We focus on several of the most respected technology providers in the industry and how they would each play a critical role as foundational partners to bring a combined solution to market.

The KMA has joined as a member of the National Retail Federation in order to help communicate education and issues on self-service kiosk technology. The most public iteration of this technology is in the QSR or Fast Casual segment where companies such as McDonalds and Wendy’s have chosen to adopt in order to serve all of their customers as they wish to be served.

In January 2019 in New York, the KMA will be exhibiting on the main floor of NRF’s Big Show and will be accepting members from providers to deployers. An Advisory Panel of companies deploying self-service which can provide their unique perspective on all of the above issues is the objective.

Kiosk Hall of Fame – we are now taking nominations for hall of fame candidates. Marsha Mazz of U.S. Access Board, John Glitsos of FirstWave and Dave Heyliger of Rocky Mountain Multimedia are the initial candidates. See https://kioskindustry.org/kiosk-about/kiosk-hall-fame/

For more information on all of these items, visit https://kioskindustry.org the communication site for the KMA. You can also contact Craig Keefner the manager at craig@catareno.com

We want to thank our supporting sponsors:

Olea Kiosks – https://www.olea.com
KioWare – https://kioware.com
iPadKiosks – https://www.ipadkiosks.com/
Pyramid – https://www.pyramid-computer.com/home.html
KIOSK – https://www.kiosk.com/
Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. – https://www.frankmayer.com/
Nanonation — https://www.nanonation.net/
Turnkey Kiosks — https://www.turnkeykiosks.com/
22Miles — https://www.22miles.com/
ZIVELO — https://www.zivelo.com/kiorg/
Dynatouch — https://www.dynatouch.com/
Qwick Media — https://www.qwickmedia.com/
OptConnect — https://www.optconnect.com/
PROVISIO – https://www.provisio.com/
ARCA — https://www.arca.com/
Storm Interface — https://www.storm-interface.com/
Peerless AV — https://kioskindustry.org/feature/peerless-av-kiosks/
CSA — https://www.csakiosk.com/
Mimo Monitors — https://www.mimomonitors.com/
OTI Global — https://www.otiglobal.com/cashless_payment_systems/otikiosk/

“Satellite” websites include RetailSystems.org, Selfservice.io and ThinClient.org.
We are hosted at Rackspace, the premier hosting solution (especially during Prime Day). Last month we had 35,000 unique visitors, last 30 days Cloudflare humans = 28,500
Join our LinkedIn Group with over 1600 members.

Related Images

voice-recognition-and-speech.jpg 
Voice recognition and Speech Command 
Framework for latest technologies and how to best incorporate into self-service.

voice-icon.png 
Voice icon 
Informing users of voice operation options

sound-adjustment.png 
Sound Adjustment 
Tactile discernible technology

emergency-kiosks.jpg 
Emergency Kiosks 
For shooter detection and more detection by wayfinding systems in large people venue.

Related Links

Kiosk Manufacturer Association

Kiosk Industry Group

SOURCE Kiosk Manufacturer Association

Related Links

https://kma.global

Kiosk ADA Checklist – 17 Point Checklist Self-Service

Kiosk ADA SSA Image

Kiosk ADA 17 Point Checklist – Plain English Code of Practice

General Areas of Discovery and Due Diligence for Review

Initial Design

  1. Begin your initial design phase with full accessibility accommodated. 
  2. Do a cost/benefit comparison later and contrast how much initially cheaper a stripped-down unit would cost along with its inherent liability

Hardware

  1. Spacing — Depth, Clearance, Maneuvering, Protruding Objects
  2. Reach Ranges –  pretty standard and kiosk manufacturers tend to default to them
  3. Interface considerations or Operable Parts (here is tech primer by U.S. Access Board)
  4. Assistive considerations – user controls such as Braille and Tactile guidance
  5. Hardware assistive device inventory (audio jack e.g.)
  6. Is the unit UL-certified? That’s a good indicator.

Software

  1. Does your application use or accomodate assistive technologies (​ Example: ICT with a display screen shall be speech-output enabled for full and independent use by individuals with vision impairments.)
  2. The Big Seven to consider – captions, contrast, audio, focus, target size, errors and labels

Devices

  1. Assisted interface – review available tactile interface devices (AudioPad, NavPad e.g. — in early iteration these were what we called “Trace devices”)
  2. Review biometric and proxy interfaces – is there facial or is a mobile device required?

Testing

  1. People with Disabilities – Blind, sight-impaired, deaf, quadriplegic e.g.
  2. Mobility – People in Wheelchair or Quadraplegic user group testing
  3. Can the users (non-blind) visually understand the screen without having to resort to screen magnification or screen readers

Installation

  1. Space, protruding, and maneuvering space? Often overlooked.
  2. Light and any other environmental factors (ambient noise e.g.)

Notes

  • The above points are meant to provide a brief generalized direction that should be reviewed for any project.
  • Historically self-service or user-operated projects have been approached with little priority on ADA and accessibility.
  • More times than not true ADA is only offered as option which has costs in time and money, and generally minimized as much as possible to achieve price and delivery endpoints.
  • The Kiosk Association recommends beginning with true ADA as overall project scope to start with. Calculate your costs, timeframes and liabilities upfront. If you want to subsequently reduce the accessibility components for cost calculations, then you can always reduce your overall scope from your start point. You could develop a plan/method to accommodate and develop future accessibility for that matter.

Here is a PDF document – ADA Checklist 2022-March

Resources

Revision Level:

20210214

Affiliations – Kiosk Association Joins Digital Signage Federation

Digital Signage Federation

As part of our continued involvement with interactive digital signage the Kiosk Association has joined the Digital Signage Federation as a dues-paying member.  The Industry Group already has dedicated multiple digital signage channels covering digital signage, menu boards, media players and new touchscreen technologies.

Here is background on the organization

Who we are

We are the only not-for-profit independent voice of the digital signage industry, reflecting the diverse constituencies that make up our industry. Our goal is to continue building a strong foundation for the advancement of the industry. To this end, we partner with our members and key organizations to provide education, networking, and advocacy to continue moving the growth of the industry forward. So whether you are launching a new ad-based network or you’ve been around since the inception of digital signage, our hope is that you will find the resources you need to thrive.

How it works

The DSF is governed by a Board of Directors, a volunteer member board that is elected by the DSF membership in an annual election. The board consists of an Executive Committee-Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, and Immediate Past Chairman, all of whom serve one-year terms in their roles. At-Large Directors are elected to two year terms on a rotating basis, so that there are four or five directors each year who rotate on/off the board. All of the association’s projects and initiatives are board-driven and supported. Outside of the Board of Directors are our Committees that execute the board’s strategic initiatives throughout the year. Committees consist of additional volunteer members who have raised their hand and give their time to work on these events and projects.

Our volunteers are our lifeblood – without them, we simply wouldn’t exist.

What we do

DSF has a host of projects and initiatives that are going on at all times. We host Regional Networking Events, attend various industry shows, offer educational opportunities, provide industry research, promote our members in a variety of ways, and offer business opportunities to our members. We are the exclusive association sponsor of the Digital Signage Expo, the largest digital signage trade show in the world, and our official certification program is with the Digital Signage Experts Group (DSEG). We are always seeking ways to improve and advance our members and the industry. If you have an idea, send it our way.

Why us?

Because the digital signage industry needs an independent voice. Since our inception in 2010, the DSF has tirelessly worked to promote the industry as a whole. We established Privacy Standards that have since been cited in national publications and before Congress. We established the DSF In-Forum to provide end users a business tool to freely and easily source RFPs for their projects. We established the Seal of Professional Excellence to provide a graphic representation of our members’ commitment to excellence in business practices. We provide monthly educational opportunities in a variety of formats to provide learning opportunities and conversations around topics and case studies important to the industry.

ADA For Restaurants – Accessible Retail Spaces Webinar

US Access Board Logo

 

Retail ADA Guidelines

U.S. Access Board Retail ADA Webinar

U.S. Access Board Retail ADA Webinar

The holidays may have passed, but shopping and dining out in the new year continue for many people, including those with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) Accessibility Standards require retail spaces and restaurants to be accessible, from the accessible route at a site arrival point to public entrances to interior spaces of establishments. The next webinar in the U.S. Access Board‘s free monthly series will take place February 2 from 2:30 – 4:00 (ET) and provide an overview of the ADA and ABA accessibility requirements for parking, entrances, queues and waiting lines, food service lines, dressing and fitting rooms, fixed dining surfaces, including bar seating, sales and service counters, and checkout aisles at retail spaces and restaurants. Additionally, Access Board Accessibility Specialists will address frequently asked questions about these spaces and their elements.

Visit Great Lakes ADA Center’s Accessible Retail Spaces and Restaurants webinar webpage for more information or to register. All webinars include video remote interpreting (VRI) and real-time captioning. Questions can be submitted in advance of the session or can be posed during the live webinar. Webinar attendees can earn continuing education credits. The webinar series is hosted by the ADA National Network in cooperation with the BoardArchived copies of previous Board webinars are available on the site.

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KMA at NRF 2023 – Visit 1602

kiosk association kma logo

The Kiosk Association is again exhibiting at NRF 2023 in New York. Here are some preliminary items.

AT THE SHOW

Show Specials

Press Releases

Products

Orphans Find It

Helping Google Out

WCAG 2.2 Working Draft May 2021 For Review and Comment

w3c wcag accessibility logo

w3c wcag accessibility logo

WCAG 2.2 Working Draft May 2021

The next working draft of WCAG 2.2 is out for a final wide review. The draft includes 9 new success criteria since WCAG 2.1. Please send comments by 11 June 2021.

See WCAG 2.2

5.1 New Features in WCAG 2.2

WCAG 2.2 extends WCAG 2.1 by adding new success criteria, definitions to support them, and guidelines to organize the additions. This additive approach helps to make it clear that sites that conform to WCAG 2.2 also conform to WCAG 2.1. The Accessibility Guidelines Working Group recommends that sites adopt WCAG 2.2 as their new conformance target, even if formal obligations mention previous versions, to provide improved accessibility and to anticipate future policy changes.

The following Success Criteria are new in WCAG 2.2:

The new success criteria may reference new terms that have also been added to the glossary and form part of the normative requirements of the success criteria.

In addition to the above new Success Criteria, Focus Visible has been promoted from Level AA to Level A.

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