PROPOSAL
TO: *************
FROM: ************, **************, *************, ***********, Zach Loveless,
***************
DATE: March 4, 2015
SUBJECT: Accessibility Issues in the Areas of Study Section of the SPSCC Website
INTRODUCTION
Today, the effects of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 have become so frequent in the
modern world that the massive efforts required to implement the components of the act have
been all but forgotten. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and subsequent acts, such as the
Americans with Disabilities Act, established what are now considered everyday accessibility
components, such as public wheelchair ramps, curb cut-outs, and power-operated doors. A
lesser-known amendment of the act, Section 508, was passed into law in 1998 and deals with
online accessibility. Section 508 created enforceable rules and regulations pertaining to equal
access with which federal sites could be held responsible.
The specific problems that this proposal is intended to fix relate to accessibility issues
within the South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) website. Using WebAIM, an
organization devoted to online accessibility for all users, we were able to find a checklist of
common Section 508 compliance issues, as well as suggested fixes to the problem. Using this,
our team evaluated the “Areas of Study” section for accessibility regulation compliance.
We quickly determined that the website is in fact more accessible than we would have at
first assumed. Common Section 508 requirements were in fact already incorporated into the site,
such as tab stops (which enable the ability to navigate a site with just a keyboard). That being
said, with a reasonable amount of effort, the site could easily and quickly be updated for 100
percent compliance. Issues that we found under the “Areas of Study” section include navigation
issues, repetitive menus, contrast issues, and alternative text. Accessibility tools need certain
objects to be present on a page to display what is there.
Foremost among the accessibility issues is flagrant ease-of-navigation violations. Even
for users without disabilities, navigation within the “Areas of Study” is confusing. The new
website is more visually appealing than the last iteration. When appeal was added, they forgot
and/or neglected other elements. The website is not easier to maneuver and required elements are
missing. Navigation and flow is not logically viable, nor is it straight forward. The site is not
very user friendly, and in some cases requires advanced knowledge of collegiate terminology to
identify where you need to go, a violation of Section 508 (“Questions & Answers about Section
508”).
Next, Section 508(o) states “A method shall be provided that permits users to skip
repetitive navigation links.” The SPSCC “Areas of Study” section is plagued with numerous
violations of this policy. Notably, the drop down menus of the main page are repetitive and too
detailed to allow any short-cut, instead of using a search box or following the site’s navigation
path.
The final issue that we are focusing on has to do with an evident lack of alternative text.
The government defines requirements regarding alternative text as “A text equivalent for every
non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content)” (Section
508 Standards Guide). In other words, any video, photograph, animation, or other non-text
element of a site needs some kind of caption. Any caption needs to be compatible with any
screen-reader for even wider accessibility. Screen-readers and other accessibility tools use the
text to translate the content into a usable format for the user. These captions, along with the other
improvements we have suggested, will go a long way towards reaching Section 508 compliance
and easing accessibility for impaired users.
Making the SPSCC website accessible as defined by 508 guidelines is important for two
main reasons. First of all, SPSCC is receiving federal funding. Due to this, it is liable for any
noncompliance issues. The federal government could fine, or withhold funds from, the college
until accessibility accommodations are made. The second reason to update accessibility lies
within the college’s values. One such value, taken verbatim from the SPSCC site, states “We
promote inclusiveness and equality on our campus and in the community.” Without
accommodating current and potential students with disabilities, SPSCC cannot live up to this
promise. If one of its goals is equality, then the college should update its site to reflect this.
Included in the rest of this proposal is our plan of work, where we suggest solutions to the
aforementioned accessibility issues; qualifications and experience, where we further break down
the research we have conducted on Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; a task
schedule, which breaks down and plans out remaining tasks; and tentative references.
PLAN OF WORK
This late into the project, we have already performed the majority of the required work. All
that is left is finalizing drafts of the various components of the project. The following
components of the team website will be finalized:
 Dewey’s Five Steps of Problem Solving
 Reference List
 Team Bios
 Project Abstract
 Glossary
All components have already been submitted to the instructor in draft form. Therefore, the
only remaining work relates to editing format, grammar, and structure as we see fit, as well as
making appropriate changes as advised by the instructor.
QUALIFICATIONS
Our team, through painstaking interviews, outside research, and thorough familiarization
with Section 508 guidelines, has become well-versed on what needs to be done so that the
SPSCC website can be 100 percent accessible. Our team has explored a variety of potential
resources, including sources provided by the instructor, to begin familiarizing ourselves with
Section 508 and W3C guidelines. Subsequently, an interview was held with SPSCC's Assistant
Director of Diversity and Equity Center, John Rajcich, and SPSCC's Director of eLearning and
Media Services, Rick McKinnon. This interview provided further background information on
Section 508, as well as a new perspective on challenges facing physically and mentally
handicapped internet users. Since the interview, we have further increased our expertise on
Section 508 through hours of additional research.
TASK SCHEDULE
We are scheduled to present our team project on March 13. By this date, we plan on
having all components of the team project completed. From this day forward, we will continually
act to complete each component of the final project.
We have completed all drafts at this time. We plan on finalizing all components of the project by
March 11. It is important to note that our team website is currently in good shape for the March
13 deadline. Updated versions of its components will be added as they are finalized.
We do not foresee any delays or setbacks that would prevent us from being completely ready for
our personal deadline on March 11. However, if an unforeseen circumstance appears, we have
set aside March 12 as a buffer.
TENTATIVE REFERENCES
"ADA Enforcement." ADA Enforcement. United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights
Division, Dec. 2014. Web. 17 Feb. 2015. <>.
"Mission and Values." South Puget Sound Community College. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.spscc.ctc.edu/getting-to-know-us/about/mission>.
"Questions & Answers about Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998."
United States Access Board. United States Access Board, Web. 16 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/25-508standards/720-questions-answers-about-section-508-of-the-rehabilitation-actamendments-of-1998>.
"Section 508 Checklist." WebAIM: Web Accessibility in Mind. Webaim. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.
<http://webaim.org/standards/508/checklist>.
"Section 508 Standards Guide." Section 508 Standards Guide. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.section508.gov/section-508-standards-guide>.
Thatcher, James W. "What Accessibility Testing Is Possible." Jimthatcher.com. 1 Nov. 2011.
Web. 17 Feb. 2015. <http://jimthatcher.com/testing1.htm>.
"WAI (Printable) Glossary." Welcome to the WAI Printable Glossary. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/Glossary/printable.html>.
"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0." Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG) 2.0. Ed. Michael Cooper, Ben Caldwell, Loretta G. Reid, and Greg
Vanderheiden. World Wide Web Consortium, 2008. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/>.