[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 231 (Thursday, December 2, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75188-75189]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-30273]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Listening Session Regarding Improving the Accessibility of
Government Information
AGENCY: U.S. Council of CIOs, SSA.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
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On behalf of the Accessibility Committee of the U.S. Council of
CIOs 29 U.S.C. 794d.
SUMMARY: This notice announces a listening session being conducted in
response to a memo dated July 19, 2010, from the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) on ``Improving the Accessibility of Government
Information.'' Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d)
requires Federal agencies to buy and use electronic and information
technology (EIT) that is accessible. The July memo directs agencies to
take stronger steps toward improving the acquisition and implementation
of accessible technology. In order to better understand the needs of
diverse communities and provide better solutions, the U.S. Council of
CIOs, in collaboration with the Chief Acquisition Officers Council, the
GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy and the U.S. Access Board, is
holding the second in a series of listening sessions to engage citizens
and employees in expressing concerns and proposing ideas. Persons with
disabilities, their advocates, technology companies, government
employees and other interested parties are invited to participate.
DATES: The listening session will be held on Tuesday, December 14,
2010, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Persons wishing to address the panel at the listening session can
pre-register by contacting Emily Koo at (410) 965-4472 or
[email protected]. Pre-registrants will be given priority
in addressing the panel in Washington, DC. Registration will also be
available in person in Washington, DC on the afternoon of the listening
session.
Meeting Location: The listening session will be held at the Marvin
Center at George Washington University, 800 21st St., Washington, DC,
in the Grand Ballroom.
Accommodations: The listening session will have sign language
interpreters; CART (real time captioning) services, Assistive Listening
Devices (ALDs), microphones and materials will be available in Braille,
large print and electronic formats. The Marvin Center is wheelchair
accessible. Anyone needing other accommodations should include a
specific request when registering in advance.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: mailto: Emily Koo at (410) 965-4472 or
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and
information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities.
Inaccessible technology interferes with an ability to obtain and use
information quickly and easily. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate
barriers in information technology, open new opportunities for people
with disabilities, and encourage development of technologies that will
help achieve these goals. The law applies to all Federal agencies when
they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information
technology. Under Section 508 (29 U.S.C. `794 d), agencies must give
disabled employees and members of the public access to information that
is comparable to access available to others.
Effective implementation of Section 508 is an essential element of
President Obama's principles of open government, requiring that all
government and data be accessible to all citizens. In order for the
goal of open government to be meaningful for persons with disabilities,
technology must also be accessible, including digital content. In July
2010, the OMB took steps to assure that the Federal government's
progress in implementing Section 508 is stronger and achieves results
more quickly.
Section 508 requires the GSA to provide technical assistance to
agencies on Section 508 implementation. GSA has created a number of
tools, available at http://www.Section508.gov, to help agencies to
develop accessible requirements, test the acceptance process, and share
lessons learned and best practices. For example:
The BuyAccessible Wizard, http://www.buyaccessible.gov,
helps build compliant requirements and solicitations;
The Quick Links site, https://app.buyaccessible.gov/baw/KwikLinksMain.jsp, provides pre-packaged Section 508 solicitation
documents;
The BuyAccessible Products and Services Directory, https://app.buyaccessible.gov/DataCenter/ provides a registry of companies and
accessibility information about their offerings; and
The Section 508 blog http://buyaccessible.net/blog/
provides a venue where stakeholders may share ideas and success
stories, or engage in conversations on improving accessibility.
The OMB has directed that several actions be taken to improve 508
performance:
By Mid-January 2011, the GSA Office of Governmentwide
Policy (OGP) will provide updated guidance on making government EIT
accessible. This guidance will build upon existing
[[Page 75189]]
resources to address challenges, increase oversight, and reduce costs
associated with acquiring and managing EIT solutions that are not
accessible.
By Mid-January 2011, the GSA OGP will update its general
Section 508 training to offer refreshed continuous learning modules
that can be used by contracting officers, program/project managers
(especially those managing IT programs), and contracting officer
technical representatives (COTRs) as they fulfill their Federal
Acquisition Certification requirements.
In 2010, the GSA OGP and the Department of Justice (DOJ)
will issue a survey to allow agencies to assess their implementation of
Section 508, including accessibility of Web sites and other technology
used by the agencies. This information will be used by the DOJ in
preparing its next assessment of agency compliance as required by the
Rehabilitation Act. The CIOC Accessibility Committee will also use this
information to identify best practices and lessons learned.
In the spring of 2011, the DOJ will issue a progress
report on Federal agency compliance with Section 508, the first since
2004. Going forward, DOJ will meet its obligation to issue a report
biennially.
Beginning in FY 2011, the GSA OGP will begin providing OMB
a quarterly summary report containing results of Section 508 reviews of
a sample of solicitations posted on FedBizOpps.gov. GSA will provide
the agencies a summary of the sampling results to facilitate sharing of
best practices and successes, and to address common challenges.
This listening session will focus on what other steps the Federal
government can take to increase the accessibility and usability of
government information and data for persons with disabilities. Input is
sought on the following questions:
What can technology do to improve things for people with
disabilities?
What can the Federal government do to use technology
better or in new ways?
What can the Federal government do to make technology more
accessible?
What emerging technologies are being used by the Federal
government that you are left out of?
What technologies should the Federal government use that
would enhance your interactions with the Federal government?
What are State and local governments doing that the
Federal government should follow?
What can the Federal government do to influence technology
accessibility?
From the perspective of Federal employees, how has Section
508 improved your ability to do your job? How can implementation of
Section 508 be improved?
From the perspective of vendors, how can implementation of
Section 508 be improved?
What could the Federal government ask that would allow
vendors to better show that their products meet accessibility needs?
What improvements could be made to VPATs?
Do you believe the IT industry would benefit from a
professional certification or credential that denotes a company's
expertise in accessibility? How could that be implemented and managed;
and should the government play a role in making that happen?
Feedback from the listening session will be used by, and
shared across, agencies to improve accessibility and usability.
Karen Palm,
Associate Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-30273 Filed 12-1-10; 8:45 am]
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