Accessibility

Access Avenue is committed to making websites accessible to individuals with disabilities by meeting or exceeding the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 508 is a federal law that requires agencies to provide individuals with disabilities access to electronic and information technology comparable to those who do not have disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. To meet this commitment, our web pages have been designed to meet or exceed the Section 508 standards and to conform to the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA.

When organizations and businesses are constantly being asked to do more with less, the internet is playing a vital role in allowing organizations and businesses to better serve all of its members, clients, and customers.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and, if the government entities receive federal funding, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, generally require that state and local governments provide qualified individuals with disabilities equal access to their programs, services, or activities unless doing so would fundamentally alter the nature of their programs, services, or activities or would impose an undue burden. One way to help meet these requirements is to ensure that all organizations, publicly or privately funded, have accessible features for people with disabilities. An organization with an inaccessible website may also meet its legal obligations by providing an alternative accessible way for citizens to use the programs or services, such as a staffed telephone information line. These alternatives, however, are unlikely to provide an equal degree of access in terms of hours of operation and the range of options and programs available.

Online Barriers Faced By People with Disabilities

Assistive technology is used by many people with disabilites to allow them to access the internet. Individuals who have low vision or who are blind have difficulty seeing computer screens or can’t see them at all. These individudals often rely on devices to speak text (screen readers) that would normally appear on a monitor. Using a computer mouse can also be challenging or impossible for some individuals. Voice recognition software can be used to control computers with verbal commands. There are multiple other ways people with disabilities use assistive technology to access the internet and new and innovative assistive technologies are being developed every day. Websites can create unnecessary barriers for people with disabilities when they are designed without accessibility standards in mind. At Access Avenue, we strive to make websites that are accessible by ALL who visit the site.