NASA Procedures and Guidelines
This Document is Obsolete and Is No Longer Used. Check the NODIS Library to access the current version: http://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov
NPR 2800.2 Eff. Date: January 06, 2011 Cancellation Date:	Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility
| TOC | Preface | Chapter1 | Chapter2 | Chapter3 | AppendixA | AppendixB | ALL |

Chapter 1. Overview of Section 508 Accessible Electronic and Information Technology (EIT)

1.1 Background

1.1.1 In 1986, Congress added Section 508 to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 thereby establishing guidance for Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) accessibility. In 1998, the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 was signed into law, which included the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998. These amendments expanded information technology (IT) accessibility requirements and called on Federal agencies to implement the guidance.

1.1.2 Consistent with the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (the "Access Board"), EIT is defined as follows:

a. EIT includes IT and any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment that is used in the creation, conversion, or duplication of data or information. The term electronic and information technology includes, but is not limited to, telecommunications products (such as telephones), information kiosks and transaction machines, Web sites, multimedia, and office equipment such as copiers and fax machines. The term does not include equipment that contains embedded IT used as an integral part of the product, but the principal function of which is not the acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. For example, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) equipment such as thermostats or temperature control devices, and medical equipment where information technology is integral to its operation, is not information technology.

1.2 Scope

1.2.1 The scope of this document includes both procurement of goods and services, as well as any EIT development by NASA or its contractors for the use of NASA employees, employees of other Federal agencies, and the public. This includes Government-developed/provided software (e.g., E-Government products, in-house development), Web-based content/applications, and other EIT that, even if not procured, are obtained from sources other than NASA and its contractors (e.g., if a university develops in conjunction with NASA, but at no cost to NASA, a Web-based survey requesting information from NASA civil servants, the survey shall comply with the requirements of this document).

1.2.2 The requirements identified in this document apply to EIT acquired, developed, maintained, and used by or for NASA for the use of NASA employees, employees of other Federal agencies, and the public. Additional information regarding Section 508 as it pertains to NASA can be found at http://section508.nasa.gov.

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