Agileana is proud to announce that our content strategist, Hans Anderson, has received his Trusted Tester Certification for Section 508 compliance. Section 508 is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that mandates Federal agencies ensure that electronic and information technology, like an agency’s website, is accessible to people with disabilities. Read more about the history of Section 508 here.
What is a Trusted Tester?
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Accessible Systems and Technology (OAST) created their Trusted Tester certification to standardize the skills of employees who are testing websites for Section 508 compliance. The test is free and can be accessed through the DHS website. The Trusted Tester process includes training on compliance tools like ANDI, which provides markups and information on how assistive technology (AT) reads a page.
Why Get a Trusted Tester Certification?
Agileana works with several Federal agencies on operations and maintenance of websites. Having a certified Trusted Tester ensures that we have an in-depth understanding of tests for Section 508 compliance. Having a non-accessible Federal websites is illegal. But ensuring that a website is accessible provides a number of benefits for all users. Easier and clear navigation, alt text for images, and properly labeled form elements help all users access and interact with content.
