Hiawatha Island Releases New Section 508 Wares

Hiawatha Island Software released new versions of its client software this week and expects to follow with the server component in a matter of days.

The company, based here, just shipped AccVerify 2.0 and AccRepair 2.0, products that can be used to locate and update areas of Web sites that are not in compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Under Section 508, IT companies that do business with the federal government must ensure hardware and software can be used by people with impaired sight, limited mobility and other disabilities.

In addition, federal agencies' Web sites must be accessible to disabled people, though observers expect that private companies will also take steps to bring their Web sites into compliance with the legislation, which took effect June 21.

Tom Sweet, a product manager at Hiawatha Island, described the new products' enhanced reporting capabilities, which are supported by a new ODBC-compliant database that captures, stores and slices data in myriad ways.

"You can say, 'I want to see all the pages in my site that contain images that failed [the compliance litmus test]," he said. For example, a picture that conveys information with colors, such as a pie graph, must include an audio clip or other alternate means of imparting the data to colorblind or blind people.

Sweet said that customers using AccRepair and AccVerify can now generate finely detailed reports that show the progress of converting a Web site over time. "Before, you could create HTML reports, but there was no easy way to differentiate [changes to a site] over a period of time," he said.

AccMonitor 2.0, which runs on a server and verifies Web site accessibility, should ship next week, Sweet said.

Channel companies indicate they are taking Section 508 to heart by educating their customers about the implications of the law or by gathering compliance statements from product manufacturers.

"When a reseller asks us to help in response to an agency bid, they identify the compliance [requirements] that need to be in place," said Terry Bazzone, vice president and general manager of strategic business development for Tech Data.

Requirements may center around whether a product is manufactured in the United States, whether its packaging is biodegradable and, now, whether it meets Section 508 standards, Bazzone said.

Section 508 "is part of our RFQ support and contract-support" services, Bazzone said.

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