The Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act (IITAA) became law on August 20, 2007, requiring Illinois agencies and universities to ensure that their web sites, systems, and other information technologies are accessible to people with disabilities. While the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act already require the State to address accessibility in general, the IITAA requires the State to establish, maintain, and comply with specific technical standards for accessibility. The IITAA also encourages the State to address accessibility in a manner that is proactive and cost-effective.
The full text of the Act can be found at:
and the technical standards can be found at:
The IITAA requires that all information technology developed, purchased, or provided by the State of Illinois comply as much as is possible with the applicable sections of the IITAA Technical Standards. In most cases, these standards are nearly identical to Federal Section 508 Standards; for web-based information and systems, the standards are a hybrid of Section 508 Standards and World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, much like the Illinois Web Accessibility Standards, which they replace.
Similar to Section 508, the IITAA defines "information technology" to include:
The IITAA applies to all State of Illinois entities, including:
It does not apply to local governments, school districts, community colleges, or private organizations.
The law was effective when it was signed on August 20, 2007, but the State had six months to develop the technical standards, which were completed and posted on February 20, 2008. State entities have until August 20, 2008 to complete the process of incorporating the standards into their procurement and development procedures.
The IITAA's requirements apply to all information technology purchased, developed, or substantially modified by the State after the standards go into effect. The IITAA does not require the State to make previously existing systems accessible unless those systems are substantially modified. (See the IITAA Standards for the definition of "substantially modified.")