Access Board - A federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards for the built environment, transportation, communication, medical diagnostic equipment, and information technology.
Accessibility Community of Practice (ACOP) – The principal interagency forum to improve the Federal government's implementation of Section 508. It provides a forum for federal agencies, disability advocacy groups, industry, and academia stakeholders to enable and support the Federal government's implementation of accessible information technology.
Approving Officials - Approving officials review proposed purchases to ensure that a purchase card is used properly. They must also ensure that proposed purchases comply with Section 508 requirements.
Assistive Technology (AT) - Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
C
Content - The brightness ratio between the lightest and darkest elements on a screen.
Contracting Officer - Means a person with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings. The term includes certain authorized representatives of the contracting officer acting within the limits of their authority as delegated by the contracting officer.
Contrast - A degree of difference between the lightest and darkest parts of a picture and/or words against a background.
E
Exceptions - General exceptions to Section 508 are exceptions to the explicit accessibility requirements placed on ICT by the Access Board standards.
F
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) - Official document of policies and procedures for acquisition that is used by all executive agencies. The FAR was established to codify uniform policies for acquisition of supplies and services by executive agencies. Statutory authorities to issue and revise the FAR have been delegated to the Procurement Executives in DOD, GSA and NASA.
Federal Agency - Any Federal department or agency, including the United States Postal Service.
Functional Performance Criteria - Section 508 standards that ensure that, from the perspective of a person with a disability, all interactions are consistent and accessible, regardless of the class of technology.
G
Government Buyer – Also known as a "Requiring Official," a Government Buyer is given written delegation to procure on behalf of the government and are the only individuals authorized to obligate the government for the purchase of goods/services.
I
Information & Communication Technology (ICT) – Information technology and other equipment, systems, technologies, or processes, for which the principal function is the creation, manipulation, storage, display, receipt, or transmission of electronic data and information as well as any associated content.
R
Requiring Official - A Requiring Official is anyone who is acquiring a product or service on behalf of a government agency. Also referred to as a 'Government Buyer'. Requiring Officials are responsible for ensuring that they understand Section 508 requirements and purchasing products that comply with those requirements.
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - Prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities. This law applies to programs conducted by federal agencies, those receiving federal funds (such as colleges participating in federal student loan programs) federal employment, and employment practices of businesses with federal contracts.
S
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act - In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to require Federal agencies to make their ICT accessible to people with disabilities. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, open new opportunities for people with disabilities, and encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals.
T
Technology Accessibility Policy - Identifies how the agency will manage accessibility compliance through technology acquisition, development, authoring, configuration, deployment, and maintenance activities
Technology Accessibility Program Manager – The person who leads an agency's compliance activities to ensure digital services and technology solutions are accessible to disabled users.
Technology Accessibility Road Map - A document designed to help an agency set goals and priorities, and provide a framework for sustained improvement to reach that level of maturity. An effective roadmap will also include plans for how to address human capital and funding needs for ITC Standards compliance activities and support needed from other groups within the agency.
Telecommunications Products - The transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user's choosing, without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received.
Trusted Tester - A program that provides a code-inspection based test approach for determining software and website conformance to the Section 508 standards.
U
Undue Burden - Undue burden means significant difficulty or expense. In determining whether an action would result in an undue burden, an agency shall consider all agency resources available to the program or component for which the product is being developed, procured, maintained, or used.