The Office of the Chief Information Officer

Virtual Meetings and Captioning

• Federal Relay Transition Instructions
• NIH Federal Relay How to Infographic
• RCC and VRI How to Infographic

​Accessibility Checklists, Guides, and Standards

• HHS Document (Accessibility) Checklists - These checklists for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Multimedia, PDF and HTML documents should be used by HHS staff to verify that their documents meet the requirements established by HHS. The checklist includes compliance with Section 508, in addition to other HHS requirements.

• HHS Web Accessibility Standards - These standards for PDF and HTML forms, e-mail, HTML tables, skip navigation, etc. should be used by HHS staff when developing or modifying web pages, posting materials to the web, including attachments in e-mail, etc.

• Guidance: Making Electronic Documents Accessible - These materials contain guidance on making documents in the following formats accessible: Excel, PDF, PowerPoint, and Word.

• WCAG PDF Techniques - This web page lists Web Accessibility Content Guidelines (WACG) PDF Techniques as discussed in Techniques for WCAG 2.0: Techniques and Failures for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. For information about the techniques, see Introduction to Techniques for WCAG 2.0.

Accessibility Checking Tools

• GSA Technology Tools - Compilation of tools from private industry and government agencies.

• PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC) - Freeware program provides a fast way to test the accessibility of PDF files. PAC supports both experts as well as end users conducting accessibility evaluations. Also available in MAC version.

• WebAIM's WAVE - Free, web-based tool to help web developers make their web content more accessible. WAVE allows anyone to quickly and effectively evaluate the accessibility of their web content.

• Cumulative Software and Testing Resources ( PDF - 206KB) - Cumulative list of Software Conformance Tools and Assistive Technology.

Color Contrast Tools

• Accessibility Color Wheel - Free, a tool that helps to improve site accessibility by analyzing the contrast of a color pair and showing how color-blind people will see it. It stimulates three kinds of vision deficiencies: deuteranopia, protanopia and tritanopia. 

• Color Safe - Free, a web-based tool to explore beautiful, accessible color palettes for your website based on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

• Juicy Studio – Free, a web-based tool that tests whether the contrast between a background and a foreground color is sufficient to meet WCAG 2.0 requirements.

• Colour Contrast Analyser (CCA) - helps you determine the legibility of text and the contrast of visual elements, such as graphical controls and visual indicators.

• Chrome Color Contrast Analyser  - an extension that allows you to analyze text color contrast problems on a webpage according to the WCAG 2 text color contrast requirements.

• WebAIM Color Contrast Checker -  provides quick feedback on a web page.

Tutorials

• HHS Section 508 Awareness Tutorial – Stresses through interviews with staff involved in the HHS Section 508 effort, the importance of access to electronic and information technology for everyone.

• USDA Accessibility Tutorial – Featuring Accessible Office 2010 files. [Note: Tutorial has some compliance issues.]

• Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) Software for Cognitive Disabilities – This video highlights assistive software that can help people with cognitive disabilities read, write and organize information more easily. Individuals with cognitive limitations or returning Service members with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may experience difficulty with reading, comprehension and writing.

Accessibility Mailing Lists and Discussion Forums

• NIH Section 508 Info LISTSERV – provides subscribers to the list with current information on upcoming Section 508 training and seminars, interesting articles and other useful information.

• GSA Accessibility Forum – Blog established by GSA to be a central point of dialogue with all variety of Section 508 stakeholders and the solution-space for any Section 508-related issue, includ​ing acquisition, development, and implementation of new accessibility enhancing technologies

• Web and New Media Community: Accessibility Oriented Social Media Links List - Links to social media resources which are focused on or related to Section 508 and Accessible EIT/ICT. Items have been suggested by participants in the Accessibility Sub-Council community of practice.

• WebAIM Accessibility E-mail Discussion List - Web accessibility mailing list is for anyone interested in discussing web accessibility issues.

Other Resources

• Using Section 508 Guidance to Improve the Accessibility of Government Services – Resource list of accessibility guidance produced by federal agencies.

• Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) – Centralized program to provide all types of assistive technology free of charge to Federal employees.

• Section 508 Terminology

• NIH 3 Blind Mice LISTSERV - open to any interested individuals -- blind, low vision, OR sighted. The mission of the 3 Blind Mice is to provide fundamental knowledge about the needs of the blind/low vision community within NIH and strengthen the overall quality of accessibility, training, and awareness throughout the workplace.

• NIH Deaf and Hard of Hearing NIH Employees LISTSERV – open to Deaf, hard of hearing and other interested NIH staff and contractors to exchange information relevant to Deaf culture, sign language and Deaf-related assistive technology.

GSA’s Digital Gov web site

• GSA Section 508 Tutorials, Guidance, and Checklists
  
• Mobile Product Accessibility Testing Resources from GSA’s Digital Gov web site

• Digital Services Innovation Center: Mobile Testing Scripts - examples of test cases, test scripts, etc. for testing accessibility and Section 508 compliance of mobile sites and applications.
• DigitalGov.gov Accessibility Resources – General Services Administration's support for content managers, developers, designers, and all those involved in building government websites in order to provide all U.S. citizens with timely, usable access to government information.

  • Accessibility/Section 508 Sub-Council – part of the Federal Web Managers Council, an interagency group of senior government web managers working to improve U.S. Government websites.

DISCLAIMER: Reference or links on this web site to any specific commercial products, process, service, manufacturer, or company does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the U.S. Government or National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH is not responsible for the contents of any "off-site" Web page referenced.​​​