Government DITA specializations play a crucial role in addressing compliance with government standards, such as Section 508 accessibility requirements and records management regulations. These specializations ensure that government content is accessible to all users and that it adheres to records management guidelines.

Accessibility Compliance (Section 508)

Accessibility Compliance (Section 508) is a significant consideration for government content. DITA specializations for government documentation include elements and attributes that support accessibility. This ensures that content can be easily accessed and understood by individuals with disabilities. Specialized DITA elements for alternative text, ARIA landmarks, and other accessibility features are incorporated to meet Section 508 requirements.

Records Management

Records Management is another critical aspect of government content. DITA specializations include elements related to records management, such as metadata for document classification, retention schedules, and disposition instructions. This allows government agencies to manage their documents in accordance with records management regulations, ensuring that content is retained, archived, and disposed of properly.

Example

Here’s an example of a DITA specialization that addresses accessibility compliance (Section 508):

<accessible-document>
  <title>Accessible Government Document</title>
  <description>Document providing accessibility information.</description>
  <content>...</content>
  <accessibility-info>
    <alt-text>Alternative text for images.</alt-text>
    <aria-landmarks>ARIA landmark roles.</aria-landmarks>
  </accessibility-info>

In this example, the <accessible-document> element includes accessibility-related information, such as alternative text for images and ARIA landmark roles, ensuring compliance with Section 508 accessibility requirements.