How can I tell whether a software application is accessible?
To determine whether a software application is accessible, the application should be evaluated according to a set of guidelines or standards that defines software accessibility.
The only legal standard is Section 1194.21 ("Software applications and operating systems") of
Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards 
(http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/508standards.htm).
These standards were developed by the Access Board as required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998. There are twelve standards,
and the Access Board provides a detailed explanation of each in its
Guide to the Standards (http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/1194.21.htm).
Following publication of the Access Board standards, the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC) partnered with the U.S. General Services Administration
(GSA) to create a Section 508 compliance checklist called the
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) (http://www.itic.org/policy/508/vpat.html). Many software companies have completed VPATs and have made them available on their company websites. GSA has also created a central database called
Buy Accessible (http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=2),
where many vendors have posted their VPATs. The database serves to assist purchasers in making informed decisions about products' accessibility. To date,
there is no comprehensive third-party evaluation of software; so purchasers must rely on vendor self-representation in the VPATs, coupled with their own
understanding of product features and accessibility issues.
IBM separately maintains the
IBM Software Accessibility Checklist (http://www-3.ibm.com/able/guidelines/software/accesssoftware.html).
This checklist includes twenty checkpoints in seven categories, and each of the checkpoints links to specific techniques documents for software developers.
A few postsecondary educational entities have developed their own checklists, guidelines, and policies for ensuring that accessibility is considered when
software is purchased. Examples include MIT (http://web.mit.edu/atic/www/accessibility/purchaseapp.html),
Oregon State University (http://tap.oregonstate.edu/Policy/soft.html),
and the University of Minnesota (http://cap.umn.edu/ait/Software/index.html).
