What is Section 508 compliance?
Section 508 compliance is an ecosystem of initiatives or activities aimed at ensuring that federal agencies make sure that the information and communication technology (ICT) they create, acquire, maintain, or use allows people with disabilities to access and use information and data.
VPAT Section 508 compliance in EdTech
The use of ICT in the classroom to create more interactive, inclusive, and individualized learning experiences is known as “EdTech,” or education technology. In order to facilitate and improve learning, EdTech products combine information technology (IT) tools and educational techniques.
The explosion of EdTech products is revolutionizing classrooms with EdTech robots, virtual reality courses, and gamified classroom activities that now permeate the learning environment and make it easier for students to stay involved through pleasant forms of learning.
Particularly for their capacity to give students access to virtual classrooms whether they are physically present in school or not, EdTech Internet of Things (IOT) gadgets have drawn considerable recognition. Blockchain and machine learning tools have also kept up since they have proved helpful in helping teachers grade tests and hold students accountable for their homework.
To ensure that they offer users with disabilities the same learning opportunities as users without disabilities, all of these EdTech products must be accredited as Section 508 compliant. All companies that offer EdTech products that their staff and students use to access and exchange learning resources must be certified as Section 508 compliant.
Can VPAT Section 508 compliance improve accessibility for EdTech products?
VPAT Section 508 compliance can significantly help address concerns about accessibility in EdTech products.
The fact that federal organizations procure and use an ICT product or service that scores highly in terms of acceptability with regard to 508 accessibility demonstrates how Section 508 compliance can help improve the accessibility of EdTech products.
Other ways through which Section 508 VPAT compliance can help improve EdTech products by addressing accessibility include the following:
- Creation of a common framework for comparison of similar EdTech products
Buyers of EdTech can utilize Section 508 compliance VPATs to compare the compliance of comparable products and select the ones that best meet their desired accessibility standards as well as their functional and legal requirements. This makes it possible for EdTech products that potential customers would not have chosen to be assessed by their owners in order to remedy the accessibility problems that made their products unsuitable for selection.
- Helping in the fixing of accessibility barriers in EdTech products
Vendors of EdTech products might be aware of accessibility problems with their products, but they might not be motivated to fix them. VPAT Section 508 compliance certification can be useful here. It encourages these companies to do more than simply acknowledge the accessibility issue with their product and take steps to make it more accessible.
The VPAT instills a sense of urgency in the vendor by making them aware of the opportunities they would miss if the non-compliance issues in their EdTech products were not resolved. This is because the VPAT clearly identifies areas where the product has to be made more accessible.
- Helping to prioritize areas to be improved in EdTech products
With the use of a Section 508 VPAT, vendors of EdTech products can quickly establish a clear priority list for correcting the accessibility issues discovered in their products. This is frequently the situation when the vendor is overwhelmed and attempting to choose which improvements to deploy initially. The 508 compliant websites will help you understand what has to be done right away based on the levels of severity discovered during the VPAT Section 508 compliance audit stage.
- Sets a clear matrix for accessibility conformance
Due to the EdTech sector's amazing growth and businesses' desire to capitalize quickly on it, there is intense competition in the sector. As a result, vendors that have created VPAT ACRs for their products demonstrate that they have made the decision to invest time and money in developing accessible products, which is a great selling point for them.
Users of these vendors' products become more trusting as a result, and as a result, they are more likely to be viewed as conscious of accessibility issues, sympathetic toward those who have disabilities, and proactive in guaranteeing equitable access to ICT products. This can ensure revenue and enhance customer adherence to the vendor's EdTech products.
- Helps to provide insights about the EdTech product’s accessibility baseline
By creating a Section 508 VPAT, an organization can better understand how effectively its EdTech solutions adhere to Section 508 accessibility requirements. Understanding the baseline will continually motivate the company to improve accessibility while updating the product. This ongoing drive to address problems that raise the product's quality eventually aids in the product's increased accessibility over time.
Need help developing your VPAT Section 508 compliance statement?
Learn more about developing compelling VPAT Section 508 compliance statements for your EdTech products or get assistance in addressing the accessibility issues in your current products today. Talk to a Section 508 VPAT consultant at (626) 486-2201 to arrange a free consultation and a quick Section 508 VPAT completion quote.
