Web Authors:

Winthrop is in the process of testing and upgrading our sites to make sure that pages are Section 508 compliant. Section 508 is a standard that federal and state agencies must meet in order to make their Web sites and other technology accessible to people with disabilities. University Relations, Information Technology and Services for Students with Disabilities are diligently working to identify problems with our site and correct them.

Because Winthrop’s Web authors have access to make updates/changes to individual department sites, it is important that you make yourself aware of Section 508 standards. This will be especially important if you have plans to update your site with major changes or add new features in the near future. Anything that is contrary to Section 508 should be avoided. For those of you who use the templates, as we identify any problems with those, we will share information stating the problems and the correct steps to fix them.

Below is a link to the Section 508 Web site, which includes a summary of terms and a list of standards that Winthrop and other agencies/institutions must ultimately abide by. I realize that depending on your comfort level with making changes, some of these standards may be beyond your knowledge level. With this in mind, if there are any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me and I will try to explain what the standards mean to you and your site. Thank you.

http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=3