Beyond Section 508 
From: Government Computer News - 09/19/2005 - page 42
By: Edmund X. DeJesus 

Software tools can make computers more accessible to users with disabilities
- and those without 

Ask anybody: Computers can be a pain to use. Yet they’re even worse for some
people than for others. Because computers rely primarily on monitors or
printers for their output - both visually oriented - any user with a visual
impairment is at an immediate disadvantage. And because computers depend on
keyboards and mice for input and control - both requiring manual dexterity -
users with motor skill deficiencies also face difficulties. It’s a problem
affecting an estimated 54 million people with disabilities, including the 8.5
million who want to work but remain unemployed. But it’s also a problem for
any organization that uses computers, especially the federal government.  

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act mandates that federal agencies make
their electronic and information technology accessible to persons with
disabilities. This has two major implications: Government employees must be
able to use agency computers, and the general public must be able to use
government Web sites. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.gcn.com/24_28/buyers_guide/36999-1.html

Links:
Don't forget the Web
http://www.gcn.com/24_28/buyers_guide/37000-1.html

Section 508 accessibility tools
http://gcn.com/newspics/G28buyerp44.pdf