Source Code Accessibility Detection for Section 508 Compliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to identify accessibility and compliance violations in user interfaces during the development stage, requiring post-development reviews for Section 508 compliance, which is inefficient and delays necessary corrections.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using programming mistake detectors (PMDs) for static source code analysis to identify and isolate potential Section 508 violations by monitoring programming code constructs for interconnections or their absence, generating tags, and producing compliance reports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If accessibility review is performed after user interface development, then development process is simpler, but compliance detection is delayed and corrections are postponed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs accessibility compliance detection during the coding phase by monitoring programming code constructs in real-time, identifying Section 508 violations before the user interface is fully developed. This preliminary detection allows developers to correct accessibility issues immediately rather than after development is complete.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback to developers by generating tags and reports that indicate compliance status of programming code constructs. This continuous feedback loop enables immediate correction of accessibility violations, transforming the compliance review from a post-development activity to an integrated development process.
2Reliability
If accessibility compliance is checked during development, then compliance is improved early, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically monitors programming code constructs and detects accessibility violations without requiring manual review. The programming mistake detectors (PMDs) self-service mechanism continuously scans code for Section 508 compliance, generating tags and reports automatically as developers write code.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces programming mistake detectors as intermediary components that bridge the gap between code development and accessibility compliance. These detectors act as mediators that automatically translate accessibility requirements into detectable code patterns, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining reliable compliance checking.
3Productivity
If real-time code monitoring is implemented, then compliance detection speed increases, but processing resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the accessibility compliance checking process into discrete monitoring points within the programming code structure. By analyzing specific code constructs (such as image tags, form elements, and navigation components) separately, the system achieves efficient real-time detection without processing every line of code uniformly, thereby reducing unnecessary resource consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments relate to methods and systems for configuring a processor to efficiently search a datafile of programming code that drives a graphical user interface (“GUI”), and to ensure integration of sensory characteristics (e.g., audio, visual, tactile, etc.) associated with displayed information (e.g., for Section 508 or other government regulations). The system can include a processor and a memory having instructions stored thereon that when executed by the processor will cause the processor to: monitor a programming code construct to identify a specified interconnection, or an absence thereof, for compliance with a rules-based protocol (e.g., a rule associated with a government regulation) governing implementation of programming code; generate a tag for the programing code construct; and generate a report including the tagged programming code construct as being compliant or not with the rules-based protocol.