Articulate Studio Section 508 Accessibility VPAT
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The purpose of the Voluntary Product accessibility Template (VPAT) is to assist federal contracting officials and other buyers in making preliminary assessments regarding the availability of commercial electronic and information technology products and services with features that support accessibility. This VPAT describes how the published output of Articulate Studio software complies with Section 508 accessibility standards.
The first table provides a summary view of the Section 508 accessibility standards. The subsequent tables provide more detailed views of each subsection. There are three columns in each table. Column one of the summary table describes the subsections of subparts B and C of the Section 508 accessibility standards. The second column identifies whether the standard applies to Studio. The third column delineates Studio's support of the standard. In the subsequent tables, the first column contains the lettered paragraphs of the subsections, the second column identifies whether Studio output supports the described standard, and the third column contains any additional remarks and explanations regarding Studio's support for the standard.
Name of product: Articulate Studio
Contact for more information: info@articulate.com
Summary Table
| Guideline | Applicable | Compliance |
| Section 1194.21 Software Applications and Operating Systems | Applicable | Supports with exceptions |
| Section 1194.22 Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications | Applicable | Supports with exceptions |
| Section 1194.23 Telecommunications Products | Not applicable | - |
| Section 1194.24 Video and Multimedia Products | Applicable | Supports |
| Section 1194.25 Self-Contained, Closed Products | Not applicable | - |
| Section 1194.26 Desktop and Portable Computers | Not applicable | - |
| Section 1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria | Applicable | Supports |
| Section 1194.41 Information, Documentation, and Support | Applicable | Supports |
1194.21 Software Applications and Operating Systems
| Criteria | Supported | Explanations |
| (a) When software is designed to run on a system that has a keyboard, product functions shall be executable from a keyboard where the function itself or the result of performing a function can be discerned textually. | Yes | Full keyboard support for all functions that can be discerned textually. |
| (b) Applications shall not disrupt or disable activated features of other products that are identified as accessibility features, where those features are developed and documented according to industry standards. Applications also shall not disrupt or disable activated features of any operating system that are identified as accessibility features where the application programming interface for those accessibility features has been documented by the manufacturer of the operating system and is available to the product developer. | Yes | Studio does not disrupt or disable accessibility features. |
| (c) A well-defined on-screen indication of the current focus shall be provided that moves among interactive interface elements as the input focus changes. The focus shall be programmatically exposed so that assistive technology can track focus and focus changes. | Yes | Studio displays a yellow box around the shape that has focus and reports the current focus to assistive technology. |
| (d) Sufficient information about a user interface element including the identity, operation, and state of the element shall be available to assistive technology. When an image represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must also be available in text. | Yes | Studio reports the object type, state, and description to assistive technology. |
| (e) When bitmap images are used to identify controls, status indicators, or other programmatic elements, the meaning assigned to those images shall be consistent throughout an application's performance. | Yes, author controlled | The person authoring courses in Studio can choose to comply with this standard. |
| (f) Textual information shall be provided through operating system functions for displaying text. The minimum information that shall be made available is text content, text input caret location, and text attributes. | Yes, with exceptions | Studio exposes textual information to assistive technology with the exception of caret position for text inputs and text attribute information. |
| (g) Applications shall not override user-selected contrast and color selections and other individual display attributes. | No | Studio does not inherit user display settings. |
| (h) When animation is displayed, the information shall be displayable in at least one non animated presentation mode at the option of the user. | Yes, author controlled | Animations are optional. The person authoring courses in Studio can provide alternatives. |
| (i) Color coding shall not be used as the only means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. | Yes, author controlled | Color coding is not used as the only means of conveying information in the player. The person authoring courses in Studio can choose to comply with this standard. |
| (j) When a product permits a user to adjust color and contrast settings, a variety of color selections capable of producing a range of contrast levels shall be provided. | Yes, author controlled | Studio provides a variety of color selections that can produce a range of contrast levels. People authoring courses in Studio choose contrast levels for objects and the Studio player. |
| (k) Software shall not use flashing or blinking text, objects, or other elements having a flash or blink frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. | Yes, author controlled | Animations are optional. By default, none blink. |
| (l) When electronic forms are used, 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. | Yes | Form controls provide full data to assistive technology. The person authoring courses in Studio can provide instructions and cues to comply with the standard. |
1194.22 Web-Based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications
| Criteria | Supported | Explanations |
| (a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content). | Yes | All non-text elements provide proper text equivalents to assistive technology that can be customized by the course author. |
| (b) Equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the presentation. | Yes, author controlled | The person authoring courses in Studio can provide text captions synchronized with audio and video, with some limitations. |
| (c) Web pages shall be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup. | Yes, author controlled | Course authors can create courses in which color is not the only means of conveying information. |
| (d) Documents shall be organized so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet. | Yes | Style sheets are not required. |
| (e) Redundant text links shall be provided for each active region of a server-side image map. | Not applicable | Studio does not create server-side image maps. |
| (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. | Not applicable | Studio does not create client-side image maps. |
| (g) Row and column headers shall be identified for data tables. | Yes, author controlled | Studio does not have a built-in table object. Data presented in tabular fashion can be customized with proper alt-text. |
| (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. | Not applicable | Studio does not have a built-in table object. PowerPoint tables are published as images and can be customized with proper alt-text. |
| (i) Frames shall be titled with text that facilitates frame identification and navigation. | Not applicable | Studio does not create frames. |
| (j) Pages shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. | Yes | By default, Studio does not create content that causes the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. |
| (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. | Yes, author controlled | Studio allows course authors to create text-only versions of their courses. |
| (l) When pages utilize scripting languages to display content, or to create interface elements, the information provided by the script shall be identified with functional text that can be read by assistive technology. | Yes | Content elements in Studio include functional text that can be read by assistive technology. |
| (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). | Yes | If the person interacting with a course developed in Studio does not have the correct plug-in, Studio provides a link to the plug-in that complies with §1194.21(a) through (l). |
| (n) When electronic forms are designed to be completed online, 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. | Yes, author controlled | Form controls provide full data to assistive technology. The person authoring a course in Studio can provide instructions and cues. |
| (o) A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links. | Yes, author controlled | People authoring courses in Studio have full control over navigation design. |
| (p) When a timed response is required, the user shall be alerted and given sufficient time to indicate more time is required. | Yes | Timed responses are optional. When enabled, the person interacting with a course created in Studio is alerted and given sufficient time. |
1194.24 Video and Multimedia Products
| Criteria | Supported | Explanations |
| (a) All analog television displays 13 inches and larger, and computer equipment that includes analog television receiver or display circuitry, shall be equipped with caption decoder circuitry which appropriately receives, decodes, and displays closed captions from broadcast, cable, videotape, and DVD signals. As soon as practicable, but not later than July 1, 2002, widescreen digital television (DTV) displays measuring at least 7.8 inches vertically, DTV sets with conventional displays measuring at least 13 inches vertically, and stand-alone DTV tuners, whether or not they are marketed with display screens, and computer equipment that includes DTV receiver or display circuitry, shall be equipped with caption decoder circuitry which appropriately receives, decodes, and displays closed captions from broadcast, cable, videotape, and DVD signals. | Not applicable | Studio does not include display hardware. |
| (b) Television tuners, including tuner cards for use in computers, shall be equipped with secondary audio program playback circuitry. | Not applicable | Studio does not include display hardware. |
| (c) All training and informational video and multimedia productions which support the agency's mission, regardless of format, that contain speech or other audio information necessary for the comprehension of the content, shall be open or closed captioned. | Yes, author controlled | Studio allows course authors to synchronize text with audio. |
| (d) All training and informational video and multimedia productions which support the agency's mission, regardless of format, that contain visual information necessary for the comprehension of the content, shall be audio described. | Yes, author controlled | Studio allows course authors to synchronize text or audio with video, with some limitations. |
| (e) Display or presentation of alternate text presentation or audio descriptions shall be user-selectable unless permanent. | Yes, author controlled | Studio allows course authors to display alternate text and audio descriptions. |
1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria
| Criteria | Supported | Explanations |
| (a) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user vision shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people who are blind or visually impaired shall be provided. | Yes, author controlled | Studio supports assistive technology, such as the JAWS screen reader. Most elements are keyboard accessible and provide sufficient information to be read by assistive technology. Exceptions include drag-and-drop and hotspot interactions. |
| (b) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require visual acuity greater than 20/70 shall be provided in audio and enlarged print output working together or independently, or support for assistive technology used by people who are visually impaired shall be provided. | Yes, author controlled | Course authors can format text in a variety of ways. Studio also supports assistive technology, such as the JAWS screen reader. |
| (c) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user hearing shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing shall be provided. | Yes, author controlled | Course authors can add slide notes or captions to slides containing audio and video. |
| (d) Where audio information is important for the use of a product, at least one mode of operation and information retrieval shall be provided in an enhanced auditory fashion, or support for assistive hearing devices shall be provided. | Yes, author controlled | Course authors can provide enhanced audio formats for important audio information. |
| (e) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user speech shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people with disabilities shall be provided. | Yes | Studio does not require user speech. |
| (f) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require fine motor control or simultaneous actions and that is operable with limited reach and strength shall be provided. | Yes, author controlled | The course author can provide at least one mode of operation that does not require fine motor control or simultaneous actions. |
Section 1194.41 Information, Documentation, and Support
| Criteria | Supported | Explanations |
| (a) Product support documentation provided to end-users shall be made available in alternate formats upon request, at no additional charge. | Yes | End-users can access free product support documentation in a variety of formats. |
| (b) End-users shall have access to a description of the accessibility and compatibility features of products in alternate formats or alternate methods upon request, at no additional charge. | Yes | Descriptions of the accessibility and compatibility features are provided in a variety of formats, free of charge. |
| (c) Support services for products shall accommodate the communication needs of end-users with disabilities. | Yes | Our support services accommodate the communication needs of end-users with disabilities. |