How is assistive technology defined in terms of Section 508?
Assistive technology, as defined in 36 CFR 1194.4, is any item, piece of equipment, or system that has been either customized, obtained commercially, or modified and is commonly used to enhance, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of people with disabilities. The intent of Section 508 is that EIT be compatible with assistive technology. In some cases, however, the technical provisions may require that EIT be readily usable without the need for assistive devices. For example, multimedia products that require captioning and descriptive video, must have these elements built in up front, as it is impractical to expect the user to add on these features.
