VASTEC's Use of Assistive Technology Testers Validates Information Accessibility and Provides Assurance of Section 508 Compliance

Washington, DC, January 07, 2015 --(PR.com)-- VASTEC provides extra assurance to organizations working to comply with Section 508 requirements through the use of assistive technology testers on remediated electronic information. In this process individuals with disabilities have final authority on document approval, providing a real-world usability test.

"Our experience has shown the use of assistive technology (AT) testers who are visually impaired provides the most complete and accurate test of a document's accessibility," says Shelby Tudor, Accessibility Services Program Manager for VASTEC. "When our employees with disabilities are able to find the information they need in accordance with Section 508 regulations, then we are assured the document is compliant."

VASTEC is a digitization company that provides scanning and data transformation services to a number of Federal agencies, including Section 508 services to the Social Security Administration, Veterans Health Administration, the IRS, and the U.S. Government Printing Office.

A critical part of the VASTEC remediation process is the use of visually impaired AT testers during the quality control process. Each team member has the last word on the accessibility of a remediated document, such as a PDF. If approved the document is ready to be delivered to the client. In the rare instance where an accessibility issue remains, the AT tester works directly with the project lead to fix it.

"VASTEC conducts a series of quality control checks throughout our accessibility remediation process, all in accordance with our internal accessibility standards or a client-submitted conformance standard," Tudor says. "Our AT testers in Final QC provide that extra assurance that all federal requirements have been met, including usability."

VASTEC's accessibility team can assist organizations with the following services:
▪ Website Accessibility
▪ PDF Document and Form Remediation
▪ Accessibility Training
▪ Section 508 Consulting
▪ Compliance Certifications

Additional information on VASTEC’s accessibility programs can be found on the company’s website, VASTEC.com/Services/Section 508.