Guidelines

UT Austin’s Web Accessibility Guidelines are based on the federal standards established by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The Section 508 standards are designed to be very broad. The other guidelines listed on this page may contain additional ideas and information that you can apply to specific projects. For example, if you are creating instructional resources you may wish to review the items listed under “Educational accessibility guidelines.”

University of Texas at Austin standards

University of Texas at Austin Web Accessibility Guidelines . A guide to the purpose, definitions and guidelines for UT Web.

State of Texas standards

Accessibility guidelines and standards for Texas state agencies . A guide to state policy and legislation concerning the accessibility of Web- and other technology-based information resources.

US federal standards

Section 508 Final Standards . These standards cover all forms of electronic and information technology used, developed, maintained, or procured by the federal government. The standards became effective on June 21, 2001, and are making a significant impact in the private and nonprofit sectors as well as government. For additional information on Section 508 .

International standards

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (including checklist and techniques documents). These Guidelines are the closest thing to a universally accepted standard for accessible Web content. They form the basis of the US Section 508 standards and have been adopted by many governments and other organizations around the world, including Canada and the European Union.

Accessibility guidelines for specific disabilities

1. Designing Web Sites for People with Learning Disabilities . Useful guidelines published by England’s Society for People with Learning Disabilities. The document tries to practice what it preaches.
2. Guidelines for Signing Books . Guidelines for the production of video-based stories in sign language, developed by an international team in the European Union.

Educational accessibility guidelines

1. Making Educational Software and Web Sites Accessible . Excellent, detailed guidelines for CD-ROM and Web-based multimedia, published by the National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH-TV, Boston. The guidelines aim at education, but are much more broadly applicable. Site includes downloadable prototypes and information about accessibility issues related to specific development platforms. Originally published in 2000, the Guidelines were updated in January 2003.
2. Distance Education: Access Guidelines for Students with Disabilities . The California Community College System’s comprehensive accessibility guidelines for its distance learning applications, published in 1999.
3. SALT: Specifications for Accessible Learning Technologies , by the National Center for Accessible Media in collaboration with the IMS Global Learning Consortium. Provides comprehensive recommendations for developing teaching and learning applications and materials that are both interoperable and accessible.

Accessibility guidelines for authoring tools and user agents (browsers, etc.), and other software

1. Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 . Published as a formal Recommendation of the World Wide Web Consortium in February 2000, ATAG 1.0 defines standards for Web authoring tools that (a) support the creation of accessible Web content and (b) are accessible to Web authors who have disabilities.
2. User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 . Published as a formal Recommendation of the World Wide Web Consortium in December 2002, UAAG 1.0 sets standards for devices that display Web content, including graphical and text browsers, talking browsers, media players, plug-ins, etc.
3. XML Accessibility Guidelines . An official W3C Working Draft published in October 2002, this document offers guidelines on how to use XML to support accessibility for people with disabilities.