South Carolina Web Accessibility Laws

The government of South Carolina recognizes that “Disabilities come in many forms, including but not limited to hearing impairment, visual impairment, and cognitive disorders.” In order to make South Carolina more inclusive, they have committed to staying up to date on the latest practices and standards in web accessibility. The state strives to provide equal web access to state government information and services for all members of the public regardless of ability.

Several tools, such as Wave and Cynthia Says are utilized to test and confirm SC.GOV’s compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Vast efforts have been made to ensure that the site is accessible in accordance with the state of South Carolina’s standards, made up of Section 508 and the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0.

In addition to the compliance guidelines, a network committed to accessibility has evolved in South Carolina. This network, Access South Carolina Information Technology, focuses on the accessibility of electronic and information technology in South Carolina, specifically in state government.

Section 508

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that:

• A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided. This can be done by alt text, longdesc, or in element content.
• Web pages shall be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup
• Documents shall be organized so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet
• Redundant text links shall be provided for each active region of a server-side image map
• 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
• Row and column headers shall be identified for data tables
• 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
• Frames shall be titled with text that facilitates frame identification and navigation
• Pages shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz

WCAG 1.0 Guidelines

1. Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content.
2. Don’t rely on color alone.
3. Use markup and style sheets and so so properly.
4. Clarify natural language usage.
5. Create tables that transform gracefully.
6. Ensure that pages featuring new technologies transform gracefully.
7. Ensure user control of time-sensitive content changes.
8. Ensure direct accessibility of embedded user interfaces.
9. Design for device-independence.
10. Use interim solutions.
11. Use W3C technologies and guidelines.
12. Provide context and orientation information.
13. Provide clear navigation mechanisms.
14. Ensure that documents are clear and simple.

Access South Carolina IT

Access South Carolina Information Technology (ASCIT) was started in 2000. Since its start, ASCIT has continued to develop as a network, and achieve their mission “to provide statewide leadership in providing education, developing accessible resources, and sustaining initiatives related to electronic and information technology accessibility for South Carolinians.” ASCIT has outlined the following goals to work toward their mission:

• Provide leadership in offering education, training and networking opportunities for agencies, education institutions, consumers, and other public/private entities
• Communicate information about ASCIT and other activities/resources via the website, listerv, and social media in an accessible format
• Develop and implement a plan for sustaining ASCIT’s Web Testers Program
• Ensure sustainability of ASCIT and its programs

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Learn About Other U.S. State Accessibility Laws

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