Need help with testing 508 compliant online help

[jayap]

I read that RoboHelp 2019's Indigo layout is 508 compliant. So I'm using this template to create an online help. After I compile my help, how do I test it out to verify that it is 508 compliant? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

I believe there are several compliancy checkers out there. Likely all are on-line. Generally speaking, you supply a link to your site and the compliancy checker does its thing. I think. Of course, this would require your site to be accessible to the compliancy checker. If you are behind an internet firewall, that may be tough.

I'd begin by googling for 508 compliancy checkers.

Cheers... Rick

[jayap]

I used the http://www.cynthiasays.com/ for checking my online help deployed on my development site I checked my online help compiled using the Indigo layout. This is what the website report said when I tried to check for 508 compliance. So it seems that the layout is not supporting 508. OR am I doing something wrong?

https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm#t=Welcome.htm - Section 508

Scan completed: 4/16/2019 1:38:28 PM

Group	All issues
Section 508 Section 508 guidelines for web applications as described at the US Access Board web site. 1194.22(l) When pages utilize ing languages to display content, or to create interface elements, the information provided by the shall be identified with functional text that can be read by assistive technology. l.2 When SCRIPT elements are used, the NOSCRIPT element is required in the page. SCRIPT element used without NOSCRIPT. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm l.1 Verify information provided by scripts shall be identified with functional te... Verify that script is invokable or have textual representation https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm l.3 Ensure that all anchor elements that use JavaScript in the link target descri... Page does not have A link element which has href contain javascript. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(c) Web pages shall be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup. c.1 Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without col... This check identifies pages that potentially require color for visual checking. Page references an external style-sheet. Visual check required. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(d) Documents shall be organized so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet. d.1 Organize documents so they may be read without style sheets. Organize documents so they may be read without style sheets. For example, when an HTML document is rendered without associated style sheets, it must still be possible to read the page. Page uses an external style sheet. Verify that the page can be read without it. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm d.2 Ensure Color and background color may be specified at any level in the cascad... Users with vision loss or cognitive challenges often require specific foreground (text) and background color combinations. For instance, many people with low vision find it much easier to see a Web page that has white text on a black background, so they may have set their user agent to create this contrast. If the author specifies that the text must be black, then it may override the settings of the user agent and render a page that has black text (specified by the author) on black background (that was set in the user agent). This principle also works in reverse. If the Webmaster forces the background to be white, then the white background specified by the author would be the same color as the white text (which was set in the user agent) rendering the page unusable to the user. Therefore, if the author specifies a foreground (text) color then they should also specify a background color which has sufficient contrast (link) with the foreground and vice versa. Page contain no elements that specific foreground color but no background color or vice versa https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm d.3 Making the DOM order match the visual order. Page does not use absolute positioning https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(j) Pages shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. j.2 Until user agents allow users to control blinking, avoid causing content to b... Page may contain elements that cause blinking. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm j.1 Pages are required not to contain the BLINK element. Page does not contain a BLINK element. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(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. k.1 Check for a 'Text Only Version' link that provides equivalent access to a page. If a Text Only Equivalent of a page is provided it must be updated every time the primary content changes. This checkpoint typically gets marked N/A because there are sufficient techniques for making complex web content accessible. This checkpoint may need to be customized. Verify if text only version is necessary for page https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(p) When a timed response is required, the user shall be ed and given sufficient time to indicate more time is required p.2 Allow users to complete an activity without any time limit. The objective of this technique is to provide users with all the time they need to complete an activity. This technique involves providing a specified activity which does not require timed interaction. Users are allowed as much time as they need to interact with the activity. Verify purpose of timeout. Usability test to ensure that user can complete activity without time limit https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm Line 73, column 1, script element, SRC = "/resources/javascript/page.js" p.1 Pages are required not to use the META element with the HTTP-EQUIV attribute ... Until user agents provide the ability to stop the refresh, do not create periodically auto-refreshing pages. Page does not contain the META element. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content). a.1 All IMG elements are required to contain either the ALT or LONGDESC attribute. The ALT or LONGDESC attribute is used by user agents to supply information about an image when images cannot be shown. Page does not have IMG elements. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm a.2 All APPLET elements are required to contain both element content and the ALT ... APPLET elements provide functionality that is not available to all users. Either the element content or the ALT attribute are used to describe the purpose of the applet, depending on the user agent. No APPLET elements found. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm a.3 When EMBED elements are used, the NOEMBED element or ARIA attributes are requ... EMBED elements present functionality not available to all users. The NOEMBED element can be used to provide a deion. ARIA attributes can be use as an alternative of NOEMBED element for providing deion. Page does not have EMBED elements. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm a.4 All OBJECT elements are required to contain element content. OBJECT elements typically use technologies that are not available to all users. The element content is used to describe the purpose of the object/applet. Page does not have OBJECT elements. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm a.5 All SVG elements require a 'Title' or 'Desc' element, or an 'Aria' attribute ... SVG elements requires title or desc child elements or ARIA attributes which describe purpose of element. Page doesn't have SVG elements. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm a.6 All IFRAME elements that contain non-text content should use a 'Title' elemen... Page does not have IFRAME elements which contains non-text content. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm a.7 All FIGURE elements require a 'figcaption' tag that describes the purpose of ... Figcaption contains describe the purpose of the figure or any other element which is inside figure element. No Figure elements found. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(b) Equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the presentation. b.1 Identify all OBJECT Elements that have a multimedia MIME type as the type att... For any time-based multimedia presentation (e.g., a movie or animation), synchronize equivalent alternatives (e.g., captions or auditory deions of the visual track) with the presentation. Page does not contain OBJECT elements using known multimedia MIME type as type attribute value. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm b.2 Identify all OBJECT Elements that have a DATA attribute value with a multimed... Page does not contain OBJECT elements using known multimedia file extensions. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm b.3 Identify all EMBED elements that have a SRC attribute value with a multimedia... Page does not contain EMBED elements using a known multimedia file extension. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm b.4 Identify all links that have an HREF attribute value with a multimedia file e... For any time-based multimedia presentation (e.g., a movie or animation), synchronize equivalent alternatives (e.g., captions or auditory deions of the visual track) with the presentation. Page does not contain links referring to any known multimedia file extension. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm b.5 Identify all VIDEO or AUDIO elements that have a 'Track' child element with a... Page does not contain video or Audio elements. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm b.6 Identify all IFRAME elements that have a SRC attribute value with an external... Page does not contain IFRAME elements with external known webpage's video. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(e) Redundant text links shall be provided for each active region of a server-side image map. e.1 Locate any IMG element that contains the ISMAP attribute. If you must use a server-side image map, provide redundant text links for each active region. You should use client-side image maps where possible. Page does not use server-side maps. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm e.2 No INPUT element should contain the USEMAP attribute. Page does not contain INPUT elements. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(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. f.1 All AREA elements are required to have the ALT attribute. Client-side image maps present functionality that is not available to all users. The ALT attribute can be used for AREA elements to provide a text equivalent. Page has no AREA elements. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm f.2 No IMG element should contain the ISMAP attribute. Page does not contain IMG elements. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm f.3 No INPUT element should contain the ISMAP attribute. Page does not contain INPUT elements. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(g) Row and column headers shall be identified for data tables. g.1 For data tables, identify row and column headers. This check identifies data tables that do not have any TH elements. Data tables are recognised as having a border attribute greater than 0. Tables with no border require a visual check, unless they contain input, image or child table elements, or cells with long text, indicating they are most likely layout tables. Page contains no tables. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(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. h.1 For data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers... Describe the table structure using the SUMMARY attribute or ARIA attributes. Identify structural groups of rows using THEAD, TFOOT, TBODY, COLGROUP and COL. Label table elements with the "scope", "headers", and "axis" attributes to assist user agents. Page does not contain complex data tables. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(i) Frames shall be titled with text that facilitates frame identification and navigation i.1 All IFRAME elements are required to contain element content. IFRAME elements provide functionality that is not available to all users. The element content should describe the purpose of the IFRAME. Page does not have IFRAME elements. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm i.2 All FRAME elements are required to contain the title attribute. No FRAME elements found in document body. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm i.3 All FRAMESET elements will be checked for the NOFRAMES element. Pages with frames are not available to all users. The NOFRAMES element should used to provide an alternative. Page does not have FRAMESET elements. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(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). m.1 All pages that have links to files that require a special reader or plug-in a... This checkpoint may require customization. Page does not contain links to files known to require a special reader. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(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. n.1 Identify all LABEL elements used within FORM elements. Until user agents support explicit associations between labels and form controls, for all form controls with implicitly associated labels, ensure that the label is properly positioned. Page does not contain FORM elements. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm n.2 All INPUT elements are required to contain the ALT or TITLE attribute, or use... All visible INPUT elements must have a label, either by using a linked or containing LABEL element, or by using the ALT or TITLE attribute. Buttons are considered to be self-labeling. No relevant INPUT elements found in document. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm n.3 Associate labels explicitly with their controls (SELECT elements). All SELECT elements must have a label, either by using a linked or containing LABEL element, or by using the TITLE or ALT attribute. No SELECT elements were found. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm n.4 Associate labels explicitly with their controls (TEXTAREA elements). All TEXTAREA elements must have a label, either by using a linked or containing LABEL element, or by using the TITLE or ALT attribute. No TEXTAREA elements were found. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm n.5 Ensure that all LABEL 'FOR' attributes match another control. No LABEL 'FOR' attribute found on page. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm n.6 Identify all INPUT elements that uses the 'placeholder' attribute instead of ... The placeholder attribute represents a short hint (a word or short phrase) intended to aid the user with data entry. A hint could be a sample value or a brief deion of the expected format. The placeholder text gets removed as the form is being filled out and forms needs to be usable even when placeholder text is not there. No INPUT elements available on page. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm n.7 Ensure that all elements that have a 'Role' attribute value of 'application',... No elements have role=application on page. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm n.8 Ensure that elements with the 'Required' attribute has a linked LABEL content... No elements have required attribute. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm n.9 Ensure that elements that have the 'Role' attribute value of 'checkbox' or 'r... No elements have role attribute. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm 1194.22(o) A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links. o.1 Pages should contain a bookmark link to skip navigation. This checkpoint may require customization. Page has no links. https://builddev.uspdsc.com/resources/help/topic.htm	0
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[Jeff_Coatsworth]

You may want to check Peter's page - RoboHelp Tour - to see what he says about 508 compliance.

[Peter Grainge]

Nothing there that will help. All I can say, based on what Adobe have told me, is that this layout is 508 compliant as supplied. The second you start adding content, that can change as the content may not be compliant.

508 compliance is not something that I have seen covered in these forums beyond whether or not the skins are compliant. It's a specialist area outside of RoboHelp.

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See www.grainge.org for free RoboHelp and Authoring information.

@petergrainge