Section 508 Compliance, Social Media, and You

Section 508 Compliance, Social Media, and You

Of many obscure terms in social media, Section 508 compliance might top them all. That is, unless you’re in federal or state government. For those webmasters and the like, 508 is second nature.

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Electronic and IT used by the Federal Government Must be Accessible

Not simply put, Section 508 is an amendment to the U.S. Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It mandates that all electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained or used by the federal government be accessible to people with disabilities.

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Social Media Must Be Available to Those with Handicaps

That means social media must be equally available to people with sight, hearing and other handicaps. Add sound or captions to content. Make posts compatible with braille readers. Write hashtags so they’re clear to everyone.

Photo by CityofStPete

Benefits of Using Social Media Tools

Outside the government, you might follow the same practices. See if these benefits of using social media tools sound familiar:

• Overcome organizational challenges–access to files and conversation streams anywhere, any time
• Enhance communication–tailored discussion forums, social networking features and collaboration tools
• Increase productivity–manage document sharing, tracking, storage and versioning
• Save money–online vs. in-person; re-usability of outreach processes
• Increase inclusiveness of outreach–national dialogues and online discussions for engagement with federal partners and stakeholders

Photo by jijake1977

Section 508 Compliance Is Good Practice

With that in mind, the March 13 #DigiBlogChat will review Section 508 compliance. Not all aspects will apply for you, but you might get good ideas.

For information about tweetchats, you might want to read Tweetchats: How to Participate.

See You on #DigiBlogChat!