ExtraView Corporation is committed to the delivery of software that meets or exceeds many accessibility guidelines:
- US Government Rehabilitation Act, Section 508
- W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, WCAG
- ISO 40500
- EN 301 549
In January 2009, the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) asked for the development of a specification that could be used for ITI’s Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). This VPAT was been embraced by the U.S. General Services Administration as a way to simplify government market research on IT products with accessible features. Later, guidelines emerged from the W3C organization in the form of their Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), from the International Standards Organization with ISO 40500 and from the European equivalent EN 301 549. There is a significant overlap of these guidelines. This page mainly covers the 508 requirements, and thereby embraces other guidelines.
It is the responsibility of the ExtraView administrator to implement many of the accessibility features, as in most respects ExtraView it is an endlessly configurable environment, with the administrator having total control over elements such as colors, text fonts and sizes, the placement of most elements on the screen, the addition of help that is available to screen readers and data validation. ExtraView provides the tools to implement an accessible environment and the administrator needs to understand and follow the guidelines to achieve the best results.
The first table of the Template provides a summary view of the section 508 Standards. The subsequent tables provide more detailed views of each subsection. There are three columns in each table. Column one of the Summary Table describes the subsections of sub-parts B and C of the Standards. The second column describes the supporting features of the product or refers you to the corresponding detailed table, “e.g., equivalent facilitation.” The third column contains any additional remarks and explanations regarding ExtraView. In the subsequent tables, the first column contains the lettered paragraphs of the subsections. The second column describes the supporting features of the product with regard to that paragraph. The third column contains any additional remarks and explanations regarding the product.
ExtraView is reliant on the correct functioning and support of an Internet browser. Supported browsers are Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. If there are exceptions to any of the VPAT criteria within any of these browsers, then ExtraView will only meet the criteria to the extent that the browser meets the criteria. The VPAT for these browsers should be consulted for any and all limitations that may exist.
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Summary Table VPAT™
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® |
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Criteria
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Supporting Features
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Remarks and explanations
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| Section 1194.21 Software Applications and Operating Systems | ||
| Section 1194.22 Web-based Internet Information and Applications | ||
| Section 1194.23 Telecommunications Products | ||
| Section 1194.24 Video and Multi-media Products | ||
| Section 1194.25 Self-Contained, Closed Products | ||
| Section 1194.26 Desktop and Portable Computers | ||
| Section 1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria | ||
| Section 1194.41 Information, Documentation and Support | ||
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Section 1194.21 Software Applications and Operating Systems – Detail VPAT™ Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® |
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| Criteria | Supporting Features | Remarks and explanations |
| (a) When software is designed to run on a system that has a keyboard, product functions shall be executable from a keyboard where the function itself or the result of performing a function can be discerned textually. | Supports with exceptions that may exist within the browser software that is required for ExtraView to function | ExtraView supports all standard keyboard operations of the user interface provided by the browser software that is required to operate ExtraView. |
| (b) Applications shall not disrupt or disable activated features of other products that are identified as accessibility features, where those features are developed and documented according to industry standards. Applications also shall not disrupt or disable activated features of any operating system that are identified as accessibility features where the application programming interface for those accessibility features has been documented by the manufacturer of the operating system and is available to the product developer. | ExtraView does not interfere with any keyboard accessibility features built into the operating system or the browser that supports ExtraView. | ExtraView does not interfere with Mouse Keys, Sticky Keys, Filter Keys or Toggle Keys |
| (c) A well-defined on-screen indication of the current focus shall be provided that moves among interactive interface elements as the input focus changes. The focus shall be programmatically exposed so that Assistive Technology can track focus and focus changes. | ExtraView utilizes a visual focus indicator that moves among interactive objects as in the input focus changes is provided. This visual focus indicator is provided by the browser that supports ExtraView and ExtraView is therefore subject to limitations and extensions of any individual browser type. | |
| (d) Sufficient information about a user interface element including the identity, operation and state of the element shall be available to Assistive Technology. When an image represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must also be available in text. | ExtraView provides information to the extent that the underlying browser provides this information and is subject to any limitations that may exist in the supported browser required for operation. | ExtraView extends functionality by providing a means to document each element of the user interface into which data is entered and stored with a tooltip. The ExtraView administrator is able to define a context and function sensitive message which appears on the screen and is available to assistive technology. |
| (e) When bitmap images are used to identify controls, status indicators, or other programmatic elements, the meaning assigned to those images shall be consistent throughout an application’s performance. | There is a consistent set of bit map images used throughout the user interface. | There are a number of complete sets of images, or themes, that are selectable by the administrator, to offer the user of ExtraView. All images that are members of a set are consistent throughout the set, in regard to color, style and font. |
| (f) Textual information shall be provided through operating system functions for displaying text. The minimum information that shall be made available is text content, text input caret location, and text attributes. | Again, ExtraView is compliant with this criteria to the extent that the required browser is compliant. | |
| (g) Applications shall not override user selected contrast and color selections and other individual display attributes. | Again, ExtraView is compliant with this criteria to the extent that the required browser is compliant. Note that different browsers offer a different level of compliance with this criteria. | In practice this is not a limitation for ExtraView’s end users unless an end user’s browser has been configured with unusual settings. |
| (h) When animation is displayed, the information shall be displayable in at least one non-animated presentation mode at the option of the user. | The only place where animation is used is for progress bars for lengthy data import, and mass update operations. In these cases, the progress is indicated with both an animation and with text-based numeric counters that show how far the operation has progressed and how far there is to go to reach completion. | The user interface never relies only on animation for user feedback and always offers text information. |
| (i) Color coding shall not be used as the only means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. | Firstly, ExtraView works within any constraints imposed by the supported browsers. Secondly, ExtraView uses color to differentiate different elements of information on the screens generated to end users. However, this color embellishment is for aesthetics only and does not impart any essential information to the end user. When there is a requirement to distinguish information, ExtraView uses non-color elements such as underlines, bolding and font sizes. | Many of the distinguishing elements may be set by the ExtraView administrator, so much of the control becomes the responsibility of the administrator to ensure the meeting of the criteria. |
| (j) When a product permits a user to adjust color and contrast settings, a variety of color selections capable of producing a range of contrast levels shall be provided. | The only area of ExtraView where end users may choose color settings is when preparing charts for viewing. A number of different color preconfigured palettes are available, from high-contrast color to monochrome. | End users may also define their own color palettes for charts, and may choose from any colors that their computer browser and computer operating system will generate. |
| (k) Software shall not use flashing or blinking text, objects, or other elements having a flash or blink frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. | ExtraView does not utilize any flashing or blinking objects. | |
| (l) When electronic forms are used, the form shall allow people using Assistive Technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues. | ExtraView offers highly customizable forms. Indeed this feature is at the core of ExtraView’s functionality. Each form can be designed with a variable number of fields, of varying types, and this information is programmable by the ExtraView administrator. ExtraView offers a complete toolbox (the Design Center) with which to create the electronic forms, and it is the administrator’s responsibility to ensure that compliance with this criteria is met. For example, every field has the capability of text being available to assistive technology, but it is the administrator’s responsibility to compose relevant text for the field. | The text offered to assistive technology is fully customizable by the ExtraView administrator, and each message may be of any length up to 4,000 characters. |
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Section 1194.22 Web-based Internet information and applications – Detail VPAT™
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® |
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| Criteria | Supporting Features | Remarks and explanations |
| (a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via “alt”, “longdesc”, or in element content). | Non-text elements are implemented in the form of bitmap images. All such images are complemented with a text equivalent which can be interpreted by assistive technology. | It is possible for the ExtraView administrator to implement non-text elements. When they do this, it is their responsibility to provide a text equivalent. |
| (b) Equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the presentation. | Not applicable | |
| (c) Web pages shall be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup. | Color is used for aesthetics only and does not impart any essential information. | |
| (d) Documents shall be organized so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet. | It is the responsibility of the ExtraView administrator to comply with this criteria when they configure an ExtraView installation. For example, it is possible to implement a field display type known as an HTML Area field. In this case, markup information within the field might be inserted by an end user that would not satisfy this criteria. | It is ExtraView Corporation’s recommendation that administrators do not utilize the HTML Area field display type if compliance with Section 508 is required. There are two other field display types that may be used as alternatives. |
| (e) Redundant text links shall be provided for each active region of a server-side image map. | Not applicable | |
| (f) Client-side image maps shall be provided instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape. | Only end user charts which are generated with drilldown links utilize client-side image maps. In all cases the regions are defined within either a rectangular or pie-slice shape. | |
| (g) Row and column headers shall be identified for data tables. | These are implemented throughout the reporting function and all data tables that present information in the form of results to an end user have the appropriate column and/or row headers. | There are a number of generated data tables that only use column headers and row headers are not applicable in their context. |
| (h) Markup shall be used to associate data cells and header cells for data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers. | Only reports known as Matrix Reports fall within this category, and there are two logical levels of row and column headers. Each of these is supported with markup that indicates to assistive devices what the underlying data means. | |
| (i) Frames shall be titled with text that facilitates frame identification and navigation | There are two possible frames used through ExtraView, that present information to the end user. In both cases, these are identified with titles | There is a third frame that appears on some screens. This is hidden from the end user and is only used to store transactional data that is invisible to the end user. Purposely, this frame is not titled. |
| (j) Pages shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. | Not applicable | |
| (k) A text-only page, with equivalent information or functionality, shall be provided to make a web site comply with the provisions of this part, when compliance cannot be accomplished in any other way. The content of the text-only page shall be updated whenever the primary page changes. | Not applicable | |
| (l) When pages utilize scripting languages to display content, or to create interface elements, the information provided by the script shall be identified with functional text that can be read by Assistive Technology. | JavaScript is used within various pages to display user alerts. These alerts are text-based and are visible to assistive technology. Ajax techniques are frequently used to retrieve parts of screen forms from the server. When this occurs, the appropriate text information that is required by assistive technology is automatically downloaded to the user’s browser. | |
| ( m) When a web page requires that an applet, plug-in or other application be present on the client system to interpret page content, the page must provide a link to a plug-in or applet that complies with §1194.21(a) through (l). | There is a single function within ExtraView (file upload) that utilizes an applet, as opposed to HTML and JavaScript. This applet only contains a single message, supported by alternative text, and is therefore compliant with this criteria. | |
| (n) When electronic forms are designed to be completed on-line, the form shall allow people using Assistive Technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues. | ExtraView offers highly customizable forms. Indeed this feature is at the core of ExtraView’s functionality. Each form can be designed with a variable number of fields, of varying types, and this information is programmable by the ExtraView administrator. ExtraView offers a complete toolbox (the Design Center) with which to create the electronic forms, and it is the administrator’s responsibility to ensure that compliance with this criteria is met. For example, every field has the capability of text being available to assistive technology, but it is the administrator’s responsibility to compose relevant text for the field. | The text offered to assistive technology is fully customizable by the ExtraView administrator, and each message may be of any length up to 4,000 characters. |
| (o) A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links. | Not applicable | |
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Section 1194.23 Telecommunications Products – Detail VPAT™
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® |
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| Criteria | Supporting Features | Remarks and explanations |
| (a) Telecommunications products or systems which provide a function allowing voice communication and which do not themselves provide a TTY functionality shall provide a standard non-acoustic connection point for TTYs. Microphones shall be capable of being turned on and off to allow the user to intermix speech with TTY use. | Not applicable | |
| (b) Telecommunications products which include voice communication functionality shall support all commonly used cross-manufacturer non-proprietary standard TTY signal protocols. | Not applicable | |
| (c) Voice mail, auto-attendant, and interactive voice response telecommunications systems shall be usable by TTY users with their TTYs. | Not applicable | |
| (d) Voice mail, messaging, auto-attendant, and interactive voice response telecommunications systems that require a response from a user within a time interval, shall give an alert when the time interval is about to run out, and shall provide sufficient time for the user to indicate more time is required. | Not applicable | |
| (e) Where provided, caller identification and similar telecommunications functions shall also be available for users of TTYs, and for users who cannot see displays. | Not applicable | |
| (f) For transmitted voice signals, telecommunications products shall provide a gain adjustable up to a minimum of 20 dB. For incremental volume control, at least one intermediate step of 12 dB of gain shall be provided. | Not applicable | |
| (g) If the telecommunications product allows a user to adjust the receive volume, a function shall be provided to automatically reset the volume to the default level after every use. | Not applicable | |
| (h) Where a telecommunications product delivers output by an audio transducer which is normally held up to the ear, a means for effective magnetic wireless coupling to hearing technologies shall be provided. | Not applicable | |
| (i) Interference to hearing technologies (including hearing aids, cochlear implants, and assistive listening devices) shall be reduced to the lowest possible level that allows a user of hearing technologies to utilize the telecommunications product. | Not applicable | |
| (j) Products that transmit or conduct information or communication, shall pass through cross-manufacturer, non-proprietary, industry-standard codes, translation protocols, formats or other information necessary to provide the information or communication in a usable format. Technologies which use encoding, signal compression, format transformation, or similar techniques shall not remove information needed for access or shall restore it upon delivery. | Not applicable | |
| (k)(1) Products which have mechanically operated controls or keys shall comply with the following: Controls and Keys shall be tactilely discernible without activating the controls or keys. | Not applicable | |
| (k)(2) Products which have mechanically operated controls or keys shall comply with the following: Controls and Keys shall be operable with one hand and shall not require tight grasping, pinching, twisting of the wrist. The force required to activate controls and keys shall be 5 lbs. (22.2N) maximum. | Not applicable | |
| (k)(3) Products which have mechanically operated controls or keys shall comply with the following: If key repeat is supported, the delay before repeat shall be adjustable to at least 2 seconds. Key repeat rate shall be adjustable to 2 seconds per character. | Not applicable | |
| (k)(4) Products which have mechanically operated controls or keys shall comply with the following: The status of all locking or toggle controls or keys shall be visually discernible, and discernible either through touch or sound. | Not applicable | |
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Section 1194.24 Video and Multi-media Products – Detail VPAT™
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® |
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| Criteria | Supporting Features | Remarks and explanations |
| (a) All analog television displays 13 inches and larger, and computer equipment that includes analog television receiver or display circuitry, shall be equipped with caption decoder circuitry which appropriately receives, decodes, and displays closed captions from broadcast, cable, videotape, and DVD signals. As soon as practicable, but not later than July 1, 2002, widescreen digital television (DTV) displays measuring at least 7.8 inches vertically, DTV sets with conventional displays measuring at least 13 inches vertically, and stand-alone DTV tuners, whether or not they are marketed with display screens, and computer equipment that includes DTV receiver or display circuitry, shall be equipped with caption decoder circuitry which appropriately receives, decodes, and displays closed captions from broadcast, cable, videotape, and DVD signals. | Not applicable | |
| (b) Television tuners, including tuner cards for use in computers, shall be equipped with secondary audio program playback circuitry. | Not applicable | |
| (c) All training and informational video and multimedia productions which support the agency’s mission, regardless of format, that contain speech or other audio information necessary for the comprehension of the content, shall be open or closed captioned. | Not applicable | |
| (d) All training and informational video and multimedia productions which support the agency’s mission, regardless of format, that contain visual information necessary for the comprehension of the content, shall be audio described. | Not applicable | |
| (e) Display or presentation of alternate text presentation or audio descriptions shall be user-selectable unless permanent. | Not applicable | |
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Section 1194.25 Self-Contained, Closed Products – Detail VPAT™
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® |
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| Criteria | Supporting Features | Remarks and explanations |
| (a) Self contained products shall be usable by people with disabilities without requiring an end-user to attach Assistive Technology to the product. Personal headsets for private listening are not Assistive Technology. | Not applicable | |
| (b) When a timed response is required, the user shall be alerted and given sufficient time to indicate more time is required. | Not applicable | |
| (c) Where a product utilizes touchscreens or contact-sensitive controls, an input method shall be provided that complies with §1194.23 (k) (1) through (4). | Not applicable | |
| (d) When biometric forms of user identification or control are used, an alternative form of identification or activation, which does not require the user to possess particular biological characteristics, shall also be provided. | Not applicable | |
| (e) When products provide auditory output, the audio signal shall be provided at a standard signal level through an industry standard connector that will allow for private listening. The product must provide the ability to interrupt, pause, and restart the audio at anytime. | Not applicable | |
| (f) When products deliver voice output in a public area, incremental volume control shall be provided with output amplification up to a level of at least 65 dB. Where the ambient noise level of the environment is above 45 dB, a volume gain of at least 20 dB above the ambient level shall be user selectable. A function shall be provided to automatically reset the volume to the default level after every use. | Not applicable | |
| (g) Color coding shall not be used as the only means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. | Not applicable | |
| (h) When a product permits a user to adjust color and contrast settings, a range of color selections capable of producing a variety of contrast levels shall be provided. | Not applicable | |
| (i) Products shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. | Not applicable | |
| (j) (1) Products which are freestanding, non-portable, and intended to be used in one location and which have operable controls shall comply with the following: The position of any operable control shall be determined with respect to a vertical plane, which is 48 inches in length, centered on the operable control, and at the maximum protrusion of the product within the 48 inch length on products which are freestanding, non-portable, and intended to be used in one location and which have operable controls. | Not applicable | |
| (j)(2) Products which are freestanding, non-portable, and intended to be used in one location and which have operable controls shall comply with the following: Where any operable control is 10 inches or less behind the reference plane, the height shall be 54 inches maximum and 15 inches minimum above the floor. | Not applicable | |
| (j)(3) Products which are freestanding, non-portable, and intended to be used in one location and which have operable controls shall comply with the following: Where any operable control is more than 10 inches and not more than 24 inches behind the reference plane, the height shall be 46 inches maximum and 15 inches minimum above the floor. | Not applicable | |
| (j)(4) Products which are freestanding, non-portable, and intended to be used in one location and which have operable controls shall comply with the following: Operable controls shall not be more than 24 inches behind the reference plane. | Not applicable | |
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Section 1194.26 Desktop and Portable Computers – Detail VPAT™
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® |
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| Criteria | Supporting Features | Remarks and explanations |
| (a) All mechanically operated controls and keys shall comply with §1194.23 (k) (1) through (4). | Not applicable | |
| (b) If a product utilizes touchscreens or touch-operated controls, an input method shall be provided that complies with §1194.23 (k) (1) through (4). | Not applicable | |
| (c) When biometric forms of user identification or control are used, an alternative form of identification or activation, which does not require the user to possess particular biological characteristics, shall also be provided. | Not applicable | |
| (d) Where provided, at least one of each type of expansion slots, ports and connectors shall comply with publicly available industry standards | Not applicable | |
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Section 1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria – Detail VPAT™ Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® |
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| Criteria | Supporting Features | Remarks and explanations |
| (a) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user vision shall be provided, or support for Assistive Technology used by people who are blind or visually impaired shall be provided. | Assistive Technology supports this criteria. | Note that each user has the ability to alter the text size of all information presented to them when using ExtraView. This setting allows visually impaired users to better use ExtraView, without the limitations that are often inherent when using browser settings alone. |
| (b) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require visual acuity greater than 20/70 shall be provided in audio and enlarged print output working together or independently, or support for Assistive Technology used by people who are visually impaired shall be provided. | Both modes are provided within ExtraView. | |
| (c) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user hearing shall be provided, or support for Assistive Technology used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing shall be provided | Not applicable | |
| (d) Where audio information is important for the use of a product, at least one mode of operation and information retrieval shall be provided in an enhanced auditory fashion, or support for assistive hearing devices shall be provided. | Not applicable | |
| (e) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user speech shall be provided, or support for Assistive Technology used by people with disabilities shall be provided. | Not applicable | |
| (f) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require fine motor control or simultaneous actions and that is operable with limited reach and strength shall be provided. | Not applicable | |
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Section 1194.41 Information, Documentation and Support – Detail VPAT™ Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® |
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| Criteria | Supporting Features | Remarks and explanations |
| (a) Product support documentation provided to end-users shall be made available in alternate formats upon request, at no additional charge | Product support documentation is provided as standard and at no charge to all end users in an online format, accessed through a standard web browser, where Assistive Technology may be utilized. The documentation may also be downloaded by any end user in the Adobe PDF format. Other formats may be obtained by copying the text of the product documentation into a word processor or text editor for reading or conversion into alternate formats. | |
| (b) End-users shall have access to a description of the accessibility and compatibility features of products in alternate formats or alternate methods upon request, at no additional charge. | This VPAT is available online as part of the product documentation. In addition the product documentation refers to many parts of this VPAT to highlight specific criteria. | |
| (c) Support services for products shall accommodate the communication needs of end-users with disabilities. | Support services for the product are available in many forms, telephone, email, fax and writing are the common forms of accessing the support services. | |
More information on how ExtraView meets the needs to comply with Section 508 can be seen here.