The Buy Accessible Wizard and Data Center: Webbased Tools for Section 508 Compliance

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The Buy Accessible Wizard and Data Center
Web-based Tools for Section 508 Compliance
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Presentation Objectives

• Provide an overview of how the Buy Accessible
  system (the Acquisition Wizard and the Data
  Center) works to help government and industry
  meet the intent of Section 508
• Data Center Demonstration
• How vendors can participate to make their EIT
  accessibility information readily available to
  government purchasers
• Acquisition Wizard Demonstration
• How government buyers make use of the vendor
  provided information to procure EIT products and
  services

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Background

• Section 508 legislation makes federal agencies
  responsible for acquiring accessible EIT
• Any federal acquisition must meet applicable
  technical, performance, and documentation
  standards for accessibility
• The intent is to
• Make government accessible to all citizens
• Make government work more accessible to federal
  workers with disabilities
• Provide a market incentive for companies to
  produce more accessible products and services
• And it is codified in Federal Acquisition
  Regulations (FAR)

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Responsibilities Under the Final FARRule For
Implementing Section 508
The requiring official must identify which
standards apply to the procurement, using the
Access Boards EIT Accessibility Standards at 36
CFR part 1194.
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Then the requiring official must perform market
research to determine the availability of
compliant products and services vendor websites
and the Section 508 website would be helpful
here.
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The Buy Accessible System Reduces This Complexity

• The Buy Accessible Data Center helps companies
  that provide EIT products and services to the
  government
• Describe how their products and services conform
  to the applicable provisions of the standard
• Maintain current and consistent accessibility
  information about the availability of conformant
  products and services
• Influence government purchasers during their
  market research
• The Buy Accessible Wizard helps people with
  federal procurement responsibility
• Identify which specific provisions of the
  standard apply
• Develop accessibility solicitation language
• Test products and services
• Demonstrate due diligence (audit trail for
  compliance)
• Document all steps taken for compliance
• Effectively, consistently, and efficiently

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The Buy Accessible System Overview
Buyers and Requiring Officials

• Wizard
• The Law
• The Standard
• The FAR

comply with Section 508 in acquiring EIT
Standard Reports
Compliance Audit Trail Evaluation Guide Design
Guide
Market Research Information
EIT Companies
Buy Accessible Data Center
provide accessibility information for products
and services
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Data Center Demonstration

• How to register your company with the Data Center
• How to link government buyers with accessibility
  information about your EIT products and services
• How registered information is maintained and
  updated

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Wizard Demonstration

• How government buyers meet their Section 508
  responsibilities by using the Wizard to
• Determine specific provisions of the standard
  that apply to their EIT products and services
• Find accessibility information about available
  EIT products and services
• What EIT companies should consider when
  providing market research information to the Data
  Center
• How companies can also use the Wizard to
  determine specific provisions of the standard the
  apply to their EIT products and services

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Benefits to Companies Providing EIT Products and
Services

• Easy way to provide and maintain information for
  buyers throughout the government
• For micropurchases the Data Center is becoming
  the primary source of market information
• Assures consistency in information across
  companies, products and services
• Standardized format through the VPAT
• More consistent content through best practices

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The GSA Sponsored Buy Accessible Wizard

• A Web-based application developed and
  continuously improved by a Focus Group of
  stakeholders
• Major stakeholders include government buyers,
  industry vendors
• Participation by ATIA members, Accessibility
  Advocacy groups
• The Wizard
• Guides government users through a process of
  gathering data and providing information about
  electronic and information technology (EIT) and
  Section 508 compliance
• Provides a summary of the process and its results

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The GSA Sponsored Buy Accessible Data Center

• A Web-based application that brings together
  vendor information about
• Company commitment to accessibility and Section
  508
• Product conformance to specific technical
  accessibility requirements
• Service capability, examples, or references for
  accessible results
• All of the information contained in the Data
  Center is owned, registered, and maintained by
  the EIT companies
• The Data Center is available to anyone in the
  world for recording market research information
  about EIT products and/or services!
• http//emgbaw.altarum.org/bad

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Panel Discussion

• Helen Chamberlain, GSA
• Ken Salaets, ITIC
• Skip Crane, Accessibility Forum

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QA
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Thank You!

• For more information contact
• Terry Weaver / GSA(terry.weaver_at_gsa.gov)
• Skip Crane / Accessibility Forum(cranes_at_aticorp.o
  rg)