Bridging the ever-widening gap between legislation and technology implementation, MITEM Corporation today announced development capabilities that enable agencies to create applications that comply with the federal government's Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. MITEM provides legacy integration software and e-business solutions for private and public sector entities.
MITEM offers customers a detailed understanding of 508 compliant issues, coupled with development services to transform legacy systems into compliant applications quickly and easily. While other vendors simply offer tools that interface with 508 accessibility products, MITEM enables customers to develop solutions with a 508 interface designed as an integral part of the solution. The result is a robust, compliant application that enhances existing business processes.
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act is a set of federal guidelines to ensure universal accessibility of Web or desktop applications for people with disabilities. 508 compliance demands in-depth understanding of the many elements involved in creating any Web page or desktop application. If any one item in any application or Web page is incompliant, then the entire Web site or application is incompliant.
"MITEM offers superior, proven expertise in developing integration solutions that are 508 compliant and also provide high business value to the organization. MITEM has demonstrated its thorough understanding of the intricacies of 508 compliance by delivering several applications to one of the largest federal agencies, the U.S. Postal Service," said Martin Fincham, vice president of marketing for MITEM.
MITEM is one of the few companies that uses its product to directly implement 508 compliant interfaces. Its user interfaces are defined early in the process, so that 508 compliance is built-in from the start, not added as an afterthought.
"Our interfaces are designed specifically for what the customer needs, so we are not restricted by existing parameters, as is the case with host-driven screen scrapers," said Fincham. "With MitemView, you define a 508 compliant interface for your application, you build it and then you integrate it with what you've already got. Therefore, developing a 508 compliant interface is a lot quicker and easier. We design the ideal environment, and the customer simply integrates it with what they already have."
U.S. Postal Service - Developing New 508 Compliant Applications
MITEM developed two 508 compliant applications used in the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) payroll processing operations that were designed to renovate older technology and streamline business processes. The USPS is the third-largest employer in the U.S. with 797,795 employees, including 48,478 employees with disabilities, and so is broadly affected by the 508 compliance issue.
"In the planning phase, we knew the USPS applications had to be 508 compliant, however the USPS didn't provide us with an understanding of how to translate the legislative guidelines into technology solutions. The MITEM development team dove in, analyzed and deciphered the 508 guidelines, and successfully applied them to the solutions we delivered," said John Schultz, MITEM's lead developer on the USPS projects.
"The design issues involved in 508 compliance are complex and overwhelming. If you are wondering if your current Web site or application is 508 compliant, here's the acid test. Install a text reader, turn off your monitor and don't touch your mouse. If you can't easily and successfully navigate your entire Web site or application, you're not compliant," said Schultz.
Established in 1985, MITEM is a provider of legacy integration software and e-Business solutions for Global 2000 companies and government entities. MITEM’s signature product, MitemView, integrates differently designed systems to share critical data and automates business processes. MITEM has been deployed in diverse industries including public utilities, financial services, manufacturing, health care, education and government. MITEM’s global customer base includes: GE/ERC, Harley-Davidson, Con Edison, London Electricity, American Electric Power, Bayer, Swiss Life, Lockheed Martin, CalPERS, United States Postal Service and the US Navy.