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Welcome to Apple Computer, Inc'

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Mary Beth Janes, Apple, Council Chair. Wrap up / Plan for Wednesday ... An entire Section 508 guide, including VPAT template, is available under SSA.GOV ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Welcome to Apple Computer, Inc'


1
Welcome to Apple Computer, Inc.
  • Cupertino, California
  • February 24-26, 2003

2
Agenda Overview Plenary Session
  • Monday, February 24
  • 830 AM 1130 AM
  • Welcome and Agenda Review
  • Welcome Comments from Apple
  • Vendor approaches to 508 Apple
  • Guest Speaker
  • Loretta Guarino Reid, Adobe
  • Break
  • ATIA/Interop Update
  • Dept. of Justice Update
  • Ken Nakata

3
Agenda Overview Plenary Session
  • Monday, February 24
  • 1130 AM 330 PM
  • Review of 508 Activity in Various States
  • Cynthia Waddell, Int'l Center for Disability
    Resources on the Internet
  • LUNCH
  • PANEL Accessibility and Application Building
    Tools
  • Project Teams Close-out Report
  • Bill Hetzner and Jim Kindrick, Staff
  • Break

4
Agenda Overview Plenary Session
  • Monday, February 24
  • 330 PM 500 PM
  • Government Experience and Need for Tools
  • Harry Leibowitz, Social Security Administration
  • Review of Government Agency Interviews (Survey)
  • Terry Weaver, GSA
  • Joy Gatewood-Fulton, Staff
  • Wrap up / Plan for Tuesday

5
Agenda Overview Plenary Session
  • Tuesday, February 25
  • 830 AM 1200 PM
  • Welcome and Agenda Review
  • Understanding Requirements for Procurement
  • Lesley Field, Office of Federal Procurement
    Policy
  • Proof-of-Concept Presentation
  • Bill Hetzner and Jim Kindrick, Staff
  • Break
  • Open QA Session on Proof-of-Concept Presentation
  • Lunch

6
Agenda Overview Plenary Session
  • Tuesday, February 25
  • 100 PM 500 PM
  • Maintaining the Information Base
  • Skip Crane, Staff
  • Vendor approaches to 508 SUN
  • Marney Beard, Sun Microsystems
  • Break
  • ITTATC
  • Mimi Kessler, ITTATC
  • Council Activity Update
  • Mary Beth Janes, Apple, Council Chair
  • Wrap up / Plan for Wednesday

7
Agenda Overview Plenary Session and Workshops
  • Wednesday, February 26
  • 830 AM 430 PM
  • Welcome and Agenda Review
  • Guest Speaker
  • Mary Mitchell, GSA
  • Break Out Groups
  • Lunch
  • Reconvene for Work Group presentations
  • Break
  • General Discussion / Open Issues

8
Vendor Approach to Section 508
  • Apple Computer, Inc.

9
Section 508 An Application Vendors Perspective
The Accessibility Eco-system
  • Loretta Guarino ReidSenior Computer Scientist
  • Adobe Systems, Inc.

10
Presentation Agenda
  • Introduction
  • Section 508
  • Section 508 Compliance vs. Accessibility
  • Accessibility Eco-system
  • Summary

11
Introduction
  • 25 Years in Software Development
  • Xerox, Digital Equipment Company, MicroUnity
    Systems Engineering
  • 7 years at Adobe
  • 3.5 years working on Accessibility in Acrobat and
    PDF

12
Section 508 Standards
  • Outlines vendor, author responsibilities
  • Educates on accessibility issues
  • Allows for continuing technology development
  • But evaluating for compliance is difficult

13
508 Compliance vs. Accessibility
  • Compatibility does NOT equal Accessibility
  • Users want accessibility
  • Application vendors only part of solution

14
Accessibility Eco-system
  • Application Vendors
  • Assistive Technology Vendors
  • Operating System Vendors
  • Content Authors

15
Eco-system Challenges
  • Requires cooperation among companies
  • Asynchronous product release schedules
  • Long development cycles
  • Varied levels of knowledge and experience

16
Summary
  • Section 508 provides accessibility guidance
  • Users want accessibility, not 508 compliance
  • Accessibility is an eco-system
  • Application vendors
  • Assistive Technology vendors
  • Operating System vendors
  • Content Authors
  • Real progress being made

17
ATIA/Interoperability Update
  • Mary Beth Janes, Apple
  • Marney Beard, Sun Microsystems
  • Chris Hofstader, Freedom Scientific

18
US Department of Justice Update
  • Ken Nakata
  • US Department of Justice

19
508 Activities in the States
  • Cynthia D. Waddell, JDExecutive
    DirectorInternational Center for Disability
    Resources on the Internet

?2003 ICDRI
20
Overview
  • Section 508 Impact on the States
  • State Laws and Accessibility Drivers
  • NASCIO and State Issues
  • California and State Observations
  • ITTATC State Reports

21
Section 508 - Impact
  • Provides a private right of action against
    federal agencies
  • Provides a marketplace incentive for designing
    accessibly
  • Informs entities covered under ADA and Section
    504 of Rehabilitation Act on accessible IT

22
State Laws
  • States are subject to federal laws prohibiting
    discrimination against people with disabilities
  • Every state also has state statutes prohibiting
    discrimination
  • Every state is unique in structure and system

23
State Accessibility Drivers
  • E-commerce Gov't initiatives require every
    citizen access
  • Workforce Investment Act requires accessible
    information technology at one-stop centers
  • Help America Vote Act requires accessible voting
    machines

24
State Profiles
  • National Association of State Chief Information
    Officers (NASCIO)
  • Accessibility is criteria in annual recognition
    awards (2000)
  • Events of 9/11 have shifted focus to security and
    privacy

25
NASCIO AWARDS-2002
  • Wisconsin- Fast Transcription and Captioned
    Telephone

26
State Issues
  • Adoption of IT accessibility standards, policies,
    and implementation plans
  • Contracts and procurement
  • IT testing and verification strategies
  • Administrative complaint procedures and/or
    civil action

27
State Observations
  • Interagency collaboration is key factor in
    development of EIT policies and implementation
  • Education and training is probably most needed
    from cabinet level to trenches

28
California
  • Amended CA Government Code 11135 prohibiting
    discrimination against disability
  • Requires all recipients of state funding to
    develop, procure, maintain, or use EIT complying
    with Section 508
  • Existing private right of action now also
    requires contractor resolution of EIT complaints

29
State Observations
  • Trend for states to have web accessibility
    policies based on W3C WCAG or Section 508 or a
    hybrid
  • Balance of Section 508 technical standards for
    accessibility have not appeared to advance as
    quickly in application development and IT
    procurement

30
State Observations
  • A number of states have access procurement
    clauses (Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, Texas,
    Kentucky, Nebraska, Arkansas)
  • Some states only require accessibility for
    software
  • Some states limit IT accessibility to visual
    disabilities rather than cross-disability

31
State Observations
  • Some states have administrative complaint
    procedures and authorize civil action (Missouri,
    Kentucky,N. Carolina, Arkansas)
  • One state requires vendor to take a state
    web accessibility course based on state standards
    for entry into RFP process (Connecticut)

32
Resource
  • Information Technology Technical Assistance and
    Training Center
  • State IT Initiatives Reports
  • State IT Initiatives Resources
  • State IT Initiatives Training
  • www.ittatc.org/stateDocs/state.cfm

33
ITTATC State Initiative Reports
  • 2002 needs and barriers to achieving IT
    accessibility
  • 2002 state IT accessibility standards,
    laws/policies and resources
  • 2002 state web site IT accessibility standards

34
  • For further information about ICDRI
    accessibility oversight consulting services
    contact
  • Cynthia.Waddell_at_icdri.org
  • Clients Include Government Agencies,
    Vendors-Including Voting Machines, Universities,
    European Commission, and the United Nations

35
Panel Accessibility and Application Building
Tools
  • Keith Elliott, Director--Accessibility Competence
    Center, SAP
  • Preety Kumar, CTO, Deque Systems
  • Connie Myers, Accessibility Program Manager,
    Oracle
  • Bob Regan, Accessibility Product Manager,
    Macromedia
  • Skip Crane, Accessibility Forum Staff, Moderator

36
Project Team Close-Out Report
  • Bill Hetzner, Accessibility Forum Staff
  • Jim Kindrick, Accessibility Forum Staff

37
Projects
  • Project Process
  • Resource Documents
  • AT-EIT Interoperability
  • Objective Measures

38
Project Process
  • Project Teams began in August 2001
  • Work conducted by
  • Bi-weekly or so teleconferences
  • Email discussions and message board
  • Working sessions at the Forum Meetings
  • Deliverables defined as Resource Documents in
    September of 2002
  • Background material of technology and
    accessibility information directly related to the
    508 standard

39
Resource Documents
  • Released late October for review by Forum members
  • Comments received by 11/15/02
  • Comments reviewed by project teams and final
    documents released in December 2002 and January
    2003

40
AT-EIT Interoperability Resource Document
  • Applicable interoperability provisions
  • Interoperability as it applies to EIT products
  • How current Assistive Technology products work
    with EIT Products
  • How EIT Products are evolving
  • Suggestions for realizing interoperability
    between current AT and EIT products

41
AT-EIT Interoperability Comments
  • Received 133 separate comments that related to 86
    individual issues
  • From all stakeholder groups
  • 84 issues have been resolved
  • Two are waiting comment by the Access Board Staff

42
AT-EIT Interoperability Next Steps
  • Two additional inputs from team member to
    Software and Operating Systems.
  • Government review
  • Deliver information to users to assist at
    appropriate points in the procurement process
  • Develop mechanism to keep information current and
    accurate

43
Objective Measures Resource Document
  • Structured analysis of technical provisions
  • Terms and Definitions
  • Assumptions
  • Clarifications
  • Measurement Preconditions
  • Data Collection or Measurement Methods
  • Related Resources
  • Comments and Suggestions

44
Objective Measures Comments
  • Received over 400 individual comments
  • Some on the same issue
  • Over 200 unique issues have been resolved
  • 13 conference calls from late Nov - Jan
  • Generated 14 additional questions for
    clarification

45
Objective Measures Next Steps
  • Some topics not included in resource documents
  • Subpart C Functional performance criteria
  • Subpart D Information, Documentation, and Support

46
Government Experience and Need for Tools
  • Harry Leibowitz
  • Social Security Administration

47
Government Experience and Need for Tools
  • In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act
    to legally mandate Federal Agencies to require
    their electronic and Information technology
    (EIT) to be accessible to people with
    disabilities.
  • Inaccessible technology interferes with an
    individual's ability to obtain and use
    information easily.

48
Government Experience and Need for Tools
  • Section 508 was enacted to
  • Eliminate barriers in information technology
  • Make new opportunities available for people with
    disabilities
  • Encourage development of technologies that will
    help achieve these goals.
  • The law applies to all Federal agencies when they
    develop, procure, maintain, or use EIT.

49
Government Experience and Need for Tools
  • Successful implementation of Section 508 requires
    the support of each and every Federal employee
    who is involved in the design, development,
    procurement, or use of EIT.
  • This includes any time a Federal employee
  • Requests the purchase of any EIT
  • Is involved in the design of systems
    requirements or,
  • Is involved in the development of Internet or
    Intranet pages and their content.

50
SSA Touches Every Person In America
  • In addition to a large central office complex in
    Baltimore, there are
  • 1350 field offices
  • 10 Regional Offices
  • 6 Programmatic Service centers
  • 65,000 employees of which almost 2,000 are
    severely disabled
  • There are also 120 State Disability Determination
    Staffs (DDS's) that have their
  • EIT funded by SSA
  • 10,000 employees

51
Government Experience and Need for Tools
  • In Fiscal 2002, SSA's Office of Acquisition
    Grants processed just under 2,000 contracts.
  • Total spent was just over 500 million.
  • 90 of these purchases were EIT.
  • Of the 26 largest Federal Agencies, SSA placed
    23 out of the 26 for EIT expenditures.

52
SSA Is Committed To Section 508
  • Last Year SSA's Deputy commissar for Systems
    relocated the Section 508 team into SSA's
    Usability Center so that both Usability and
    Accessibility are part of the development
    process.
  • Each procurement solicitation has Section 508 in
    the requirements section just like Energy Star.
  • SSA's procurement shop WILL NOT process an EIT
    procurement to award without Section 508
    documentation.

53
Government Experience and Need for Tools
  • In FY 2002, SSA had 134 Section 508 exceptions
    (less than 8).
  • ABOUT 80 WERE back office exceptions due to
    SSA's large in-house IT infrastructure.
  • ABOUT 20 WERE fundamental alteration exceptions
    for devices that by their nature are not 508
    Compliant nor can they be made compliant without
    a fundamental alteration.
  • THERE WERE NO EXTERNAL UNDUE BURDON EXCEPTIONS
    since the passage of Section 508.
  • SSA's DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR SYSTEMS AND Deputy
    CIO HAVE STATED THAT THEY WILL NOT SIGN UNDUE
    BURDON EXCEPTIONS the Deputy CIO reviews each
    exception on a quarterly basis.

54
Government Experience and Need for Tools
  • SSA has created a Section 508 Procurement Wizard
    on our Intranet.
  • Provides the Project officer with "a resource for
    compliance determinations but a listing of all
    previously approved section 508 exceptions.
  • In addition, a Section 508 Testing Wizard was
    created to identify and categorize all software
    submitted to the Accessible Solution Branch for
    testing.

55
SSA Is Committed To Section 508 Education
  • SSA has provided in-depth training for all
    procurement specialists in central office.
  • Many of the regional procurement specialists have
    been trained and acted as Train-the-trainer.
  • During the first year after enactment, SSA
    invited 10 other federal agencies to tour our
    Section 508 accessibility lab.
  • We showed them our compliance testing
    procedures and offered advice on making buying
    compliant products.

56
SSA IS Committed To Section 508 Education(1 of 2)
  • Because almost anyone at SSA can initiate a
    requisition and thus become a project Officer, we
    created a Section 508 Desk Guide.
  • Approximately 4,000 of these have been
    distributed nationally to SSA employees.
  • Samples have been provided, upon request, to
    other Federal agencies, State Agencies adopting
    Section 508, and other interested parties.

57
SSA IS Committed To Section 508 Education(2 of 2)
  • SSA created a formal, published Section 508
    Implementation Plan.
  • Distributed in hard copy
  • Available on SSA's Intranet site
  • Copies are also available to other Federal
    Agencies.
  • The SSA Usability Center promotes both usability
    and Accessibility at various SSA meetings and
    other national conferences such as IPIC (the
    Information Processing Interagency Conference for
    Agency executives).

58
SSA Is Committed To Section 508 Education
  • As funds permit, we provide current accessibility
    fundamentals textbooks to SSA managers and
    employees alike.
  • Speaking of funds, there are numerous
    accessibility aids available on the WEB and from
    various sources such as GSA and the World Wide
    Web Consortium (W3C) at little or no cost.
  • We have sponsored nation-wide training for all
    SSA Webmasters by our Section 508 WEB Remediation
    and Design vendor. Plans are to make this an
    annual cycle.
  • An entire Section 508 guide, including VPAT
    template, is available under SSA.GOV in the
    Selling to SSA" section.
  • Vendors with questions may call our procurement
    shop that will refer any Section 508 issues or
    questions to the Accessible Solutions Branch.

59
SSA Is Committed To Section 508 Compliance
  • SSA has met with numerous hardware and software
    vendors and worked with them to explain Section
    508 and to offer suggestions to make the products
    accessible. In some cases, minor changes to
    hardware and a handful of code changes were all
    that was needed to be Section 508 compliant.
  • SSA has provided almost 800 licenses for our WEB
    remediation and design tool to our webmasters
    around the country. Anyone who touches a web
    page at SSA has access to the tool.
  • SSA provides assistance to vendors for testing of
    products that are proposed to SSA and other
    agencies through contract vehicles. In many
    cases, compliance issues are related to
    misunderstanding of template language.

60
SSA Is Committed To Section 508 Compliance(1 of
2)
  • Comments in Federal Computer Week by Craig
    Luigart, CIO, Dept. of Education--
  • Although height and reach were important, the
    digital displays that require a direct downward
    line-of-sight were a hindrance to people in
    chairs.
  • Working with a copier vendor and a European
    design firm, there is now a solution sure to be
    copied throughout the industry.
  • The simple, easy access module provides almost
    full printer functionality without looking
    through the digital screen.

61
SSA Is Committed To Section 508 Compliance(2 of
2)
  • Craig Luigart comments (contd)
  • This device provides eye-level, one-touch
    printing for persons in chairs and with visual
    impairments.
  • There is no change in copier function for walk-up
    users. Even those of us that are confused or
    intimidated by inputting 4 or 5 commands to make
    a single copy will love this device.

62
SSA Is Committed To Section 508 Compliance
  • Finally, SSA has pursued some imaginative
    procurement vehicles to have Section 508
    compliance software tools written for us. These
    products will be commercially available to all
    federal agencies later this year.
  • Software tool to convert inaccessible PDF
    documents to XML so that they may be made
    accessible by any number of means.
  • Software tool to check for accessibility errors
    and provide suggested solutions for native Java
    and Visual Basic code.

63
Accessibility and Section 508 Compliance
  • Because Its The Right Thing To Do!

64
Survey of Federal Requiring OfficialsA Wrap-Up
from October 2002 Report
  • Terry Weaver, General Services Administration
  • Joy Fulton, Accessibility Forum Staff

65
Outline
  • History
  • Approach
  • Survey Results
  • Further Analysis
  • List of Potential Needs
  • Top 20 Needs

66
History
  • Analysis of published information about EIT
    procurement practices from 15 Federal Agencies
  • How Section 508 was implemented
  • Poster board illustrating research results
    available
  • Interviews with requiring officials from 10
    federal agencies
  • Major customers for EIT
  • Paper describing interview results available

67
Approach
  • Develop confidential questionnaire/survey to
    identify problems and issues in implementing
    Section 508
  • Analyze how these agencies describe their process
    and procedures to
  • Determine Applicability of Section 508 to
    procurements
  • Consider Section 508 in source selection
  • Train requiring officials
  • Provide documentation

68
Survey Results
  • Reported in detail in September
  • Generally found that
  • Federal agencies are committed to implementing
    Section 508
  • They need further guidance and assistance on how
    to implement
  • Many agencies were unclear on the official
    guidance and on what further assistance is needed.

69
Further Analysis
  • Content analysis of survey results(done)
  • Developed a list of 20 potential needs
  • Provided feedback to survey respondents(done)
  • Review by the Section 508 Working Group(in
    process)
  • Prioritizing of the top 20 potential needs

70
List of Potential Needs
  • What follows are survey results, a compendium of
    interview comments
  • Comments were made and noted during confidential
    interviews, then analyzed later
  • Potential needs are not government or Forum
    approved requirements
  • Some are beyond what can or should be provided as
    guidance or help

71
List of Potential Needs(1 of 2)
  • Standard 508 agency-wide training program for
    everyone in the agency
  • Standard 508 government-wide training program for
    everyone in the government
  • Additional funding for 508 compliant technologies
  • Tool for determining the provisions that apply
  • Better understanding of applicability across
    state and international boundaries, including US
    government facilities overseas
  • Means of communicating 508 requirements to
    vendors
  • Government wide market research information
    repository for 508-related technologies

72
List of Potential Needs(2 of 2)
  • Qualified bidders list of compliant vendors
  • Database of tested, certified products maintained
    by the Agency
  • Database of tested, certified products maintained
    government wide
  • Logo or icon or other labeling program to confirm
    product compliance
  • Standard RFP language for 508 documentation
    including 508 requirements, applicable provisions
    and exceptions
  • Tool for determining which provisions apply to a
    particular product and product features, in
    addition to those required by the acquisition
  • Means of communicating additional accessibility
    requirements because of their products features
    to vendors

73
Your Questions and Comments
  • Floor open for questions and discussion

74
Agenda OverviewTuesday, February 24
  • Welcome and Agenda Review
  • Understanding Requirements for Procurement
  • Proof-of-Concept Presentation
  • Open QA Session on Proof-of-Concept Presentation
  • Maintaining the Information Base
  • Vendor approaches to 508 SUN
  • ITTATC
  • Council Activity Update / Status Reports

75
Understanding Requirements for Procurement
  • Lesley Field, Office of Federal Procurement
    Policy

76
Overview
  • Activity of the Section 508 Working Group
  • Review of the project team Resource Documents
  • Process for federal EIT procurement
  • A process framework for Section 508 requirements

77
Section 508 Working Group Review of Project
Resource Documents
  • Some material isnt necessary
  • Focus on the provisions
  • Some material is too technical
  • Layman understanding
  • Unlikely to use measurement methods
  • Lack of time and expertise
  • Some material is helpful
  • Assumptions, clarifications, related resources,
    comments and suggestions
  • Wish list
  • Need help on how to implement requirements
    within the procurement process

78
Overview
  • Activity of the Section 508 Working Group
  • Review of the project team Resource Documents
  • Process for federal EIT procurement
  • A process framework for Section 508 requirements

79
Some Sources of Information About Federal EIT
Procurement Processes
  • Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)
  • Research on current Federal Agency practices
  • Interviews with Federal Agencies
  • Review of tools to support EIT procurement
  • Section508.gov, FAQs, IAE, etc.

80
Some Observations
  • There are multiple processes in place for EIT
    procurement
  • There is variation from agency to agency in the
    implementation of Section 508 requirements
  • Responsibility for EIT requirements is becoming
    more distributed throughout the federal
    government
  • The process must address basic procurement
    requirements
  • Can we abstract a process framework for Section
    508 requirements?

81
A Process Framework for Federal EIT Procurement
  • Needs Assessment
  • Determine program requirements for EIT
  • Solicitation
  • Produce RFP
  • Source Selection
  • Evaluate RFP responses and select proposal
  • Delivery
  • Inspection and acceptance evaluation of purchased
    products

82
Proof of Concept Presentation
  • Jim Kindrick and Bill HetznerAccessibility
    Forum Staff

83
Overview
  • Federal EIT procurement and Section 508
  • Procurement process and derived functional
    requirements
  • A closer look at the requirements
  • User needs and existing practice
  • The concept
  • Apply resource documents to help

84
Section 508 Requirements in the Procurement
Process
  • Needs Assessment
  • Intended need what is the agency requirement
    and technical environment?
  • General exceptions who must comply with Section
    508?
  • Applicability specifically which Section 508
    requirements apply?
  • Market research how do available EIT products
    meet the requirements?
  • More exceptions what if specific requirements
    cannot be met?
  • Solicitation
  • More market research what specific functions of
    EIT are needed/implied?
  • RFP process - what standard language is needed?

85
Section 508 Requirements in the Procurement
Process
  • Source Selection
  • Even more market research how to interpret
    information from vendors?
  • Proposal evaluation how to assess for source
    selection?
  • Delivery
  • Inspection and acceptance what are appropriate
    criteria?
  • Contract lifecycle what is the plan for EIT
    evolution/upgrades?

86
Needs Assessment - Intended Need
  • Need to understand if agency needs EIT products
    or services
  • Does Section 508 apply at all?
  • Need to know how a product will be used, not who
    will use it
  • Section 508, not Section 504
  • Need to understand the intended technical
    environment for EIT
  • FAR state Technical specifications and minimum
    requirements would be developed based on the
    market research results and agency needs.
  • What about products purchased as components of an
    existing system?
  • Need to produce documentation for intended need?

87
Need Assessment - General Exceptions
  • Need to determine if an exception applies to an
    EIT procurement
  • Many different general exceptions are possible
  • Micro-purchase
  • National security system
  • Acquired by a contractor incidental to a contract
  • Located in spaces frequented by service personnel
    for maintenance, repair, or occasional monitoring
    of equipment
  • Determining if and which exceptions apply is not
    easy
  • Need to produce documentation for exceptions

88
Needs Assessment - Applicability
  • Need to determine which parts of Section 508
    apply to EIT procurements for specific products
  • Many multi-functional products cross the
    boundaries of the technical sections of the
    Section 508 standard
  • Requires detailed knowledge of the standard and
    EIT accessibility
  • Functional characteristics of certain products
    might exceed requirements of agency
  • Need to produce documentation for applicable
    requirements
  • Required later for producing the RFP

89
Needs Assessment - Market Research
  • Need to gather information about available
    products and services
  • Requiring officials have diverse levels of market
    research expertise.
  • Variety of capabilities are available for
    products and services
  • Information from industry about the accessibility
    of their products is not always consistent or
    comparable
  • Lots of time is required to do market research on
    product
  • Need to produce documentation for market research
  • Exceptions for specific requirements on products
    and services
  • Is there time and resource for market research on
    micro-purchases?

90
Need Assessment More Exceptions
  • Need to determine if appropriate exceptions apply
    for a specific requirement
  • Many different exceptions are possible
  • Undue burden
  • Fundamental alteration in the nature of a product
    or service or its components
  • Commercial non-availability
  • Determining if and which exceptions apply is not
    easy
  • Need to determine if a product provides
    equivalent facilitation for a requirement
  • Need to produce documentation for specific
    exceptions and equivalent facilitation

91
Section 508 Requirements in the Procurement
Process
  • Needs Assessment
  • Solicitation how to support the RFP process?
  • More market research what specific functions of
    EIT are needed/implied?
  • RFP process - what standard language is needed?

92
Solicitation More Market Research
  • Need more detailed product information on
    specific capabilities and functionality of
    available products
  • Market research is an iterative process
    throughout procurement
  • Product functional characteristics might exceed
    specific agency requirements, which may result in
    more applicable provisions
  • Need to document results of market research
  • Additional requirements based on product
    functions
  • Equivalent facilitation for certain requirements
    by specific products

93
Solicitation RFP Process
  • Need Section 508 language for the Standard
    Uniform Contract (Solicitation) Format
  • Section C Description/Specification/Work
    Statement
  • Section E Inspection and Acceptance
  • Section F Deliveries or Performance
  • Government Cost Estimate (which helps to generate
    section B)
  • As well as sub-sections of
  • Section B Supplies or Services and Price/Costs
  • Section D Packaging and Marking
  • Section G Contract Administration Data
  • Section H Special Contract Requirements
  • Section L Instructions, Conditions, and Notices
    to Offerors or Quoters
  • Section M Evaluation Factors for Award
  • Source Selection Plan
  • Contract Administration Plan

94
Section 508 Requirements in the Procurement
Process
  • Needs Assessment
  • Solicitation
  • Source Selection how to evaluate RFP responses?
  • Even more market research how to interpret
    information from vendors?
  • Proposal evaluation how to assess for source
    selection?

95
Source Selection Even More Market Research
  • Need to interpret and verify market research data
    to understand and evaluate product information
    from vendors
  • Dialogue with certain vendors regarding their
    proposed products and services
  • Sometimes difficult to interpret vendor responses
    to RFP due to highly technical or inconsistent
    language
  • Need to document results of detailed market
    research
  • Characterize how available EIT meets Section 508
    requirements

96
Source Selection Proposal Evaluation
  • Need to evaluate products and services against
    the applicable requirements of the 508 Standard
  • No generally accepted measurement/data collection
    methods
  • VPAT information an important resource
  • Need to assess products and services in relation
    to each other based on their relative
    satisfaction of the 508 requirements
  • Driven by Solicitation Section M Evaluation
    Factors for Award?
  • How is this related to the Source Selection Plan?
  • Need to select most appropriate proposal
  • No consistent way to compare evaluation results
  • No consistent way do document selection

97
Section 508 Requirements in the Procurement
Process
  • Needs Assessment
  • Solicitation
  • Source Selection
  • Delivery - what are conditions for receipt?
  • Inspection and acceptance what are appropriate
    criteria?
  • Contract lifecycle what is the plan for product
    evolution/upgrades?

98
Delivery - Inspection and Acceptance
  • Need techniques for inspection and acceptance
  • Difficult to evaluate purchased products and
    services against the applicable requirements of
    the Standard
  • No clear, easy to use, and consistent process for
    evaluation.
  • No clear way to verify evaluation results
  • No consistent documentation of evaluation results
    for re-use
  • Need to document results of product acceptance

99
Delivery - Contract Lifecycle
  • What is the plan for EIT evolution/upgrades?
  • Need to do continuing market research?
  • Evaluation of EIT utility of a continuing basis?
  • Need to do continuing needs assessment?

100
Overview
  • Federal EIT procurement and Section 508
  • Procurement process and derived functional
    requirements
  • A closer look at the requirements
  • User needs and existing practice
  • The concept
  • Apply resource documents to help

101
A Closer Look at the Requirements
  • Federal Agency needs and the functional
    requirements
  • Making sure perceived needs are met by the
    functions
  • Existing pieces of the solution for some
    requirements
  • Procedures, methods, and tools currently
    available to help

102
Federal Agency Needs and the Functional
Requirements
  • Making sure perceived needs are met by the
    functions
  • QFD-like analysis of the top 20 needs derived
    from procurement interviews
  • Matrix describing how the top 20 needs derived
    from procurement interviews are addressed by the
    various Section 508 requirements
  • Conclusion the matrix is dense gt every user
    need is addressed by at least one proposed
    functional requirement
  • Requirements are validated against perceived user
    needs

103
Federal Agency Needs and the Functional
Requirements
  • Placeholder for graphic slide that shows the
    matrix and indicates cells that are populated
    illustrating
  • The dense population of the matrix
  • Each user need (column) has at least one cell
    which is populated

104
Existing Pieces of the Solution for Some
Requirements
  • Examination of existing procedures, methods, and
    tools currently available to help
  • What do the existing methods and support tools
    do?
  • What requirements are currently being addressed?
  • Pieces of the solution include
  • Federal agency Section 508 specific tool
  • EIT industry product/service vendor Section 508
    specific tool
  • International government EIT accessibility tool
  • Web site accessibility validation tools
  • Standard Operating Procedures for some agencies
  • E-commerce or SBA tools??
  • Automated RFP generation tools
  • Currently do not address Section 508 issues

105
Existing Pieces of the Solution for Some
Requirements
  • Matrix analysis of various current resources
    against the Section 508 requirements
  • Matrix describing how existing elements of the
    solution address the various Section 508
    requirements
  • Conclusion the matrix is sparse gt need
    additional and more Section 508 specific tools
  • Requirements are not all met with current
    available resources

106
Existing Pieces of the Solution for Some
Requirements
  • Placeholder for graphic slide that shows the
    matrix and indicates cells that are populated
    illustrating
  • The sparse population of the matrix

107
Overview
  • Federal EIT procurement and Section 508
  • Procurement process and derived functional
    requirements
  • A closer look at the requirements
  • User needs and existing practice
  • The concept
  • Apply resource documents to help

108
The Concept
  • Information resources that apply to meet some
    requirements
  • Relating Forum resource documents to the
    requirements
  • Delivering information and assistance as needed
    during the process
  • Description and example scenario to prove the
    concept of a federal EIT Section 508 procurement
    assistance portal

109
Information Resources That Apply to Meet Some
Requirements
  • Accessibility Forum Project teams resource
    documents
  • Available, extensive, manual and hard to use,
    requires structure,
  • Matrix analysis of various kinds of information
    from resource documents against the Section 508
    requirements
  • Matrix describing how existing work of projects
    address the various Section 508 requirements
  • Conclusion the matrix is dense gt every kind of
    information addresses at least one proposed
    functional requirement
  • Resource documents apply to EIT procurement
    requirements

110
Information Resources That Apply to Meet Some
Requirements
  • Placeholder for graphic slide that shows the
    matrix and indicates cells that are populated
    illustrating
  • The relatively dense population of the matrix
  • Each information type (column) has at least one
    cell which is populated

111
Delivering Assistance As Needed During the
Process
  • Some concepts illustrating use cases for
    assistance deliveryFor example, an interface --
  • Presenting a taxonomy of product types and to
    produce identify applicability of Section 508
    requirements, and perhaps also followed by a
    screen illustrating inputs and controls to
    produce some standard requirement text for the
    RFP
  • Presenting definition, clarification, or tutorial
    information to the user to explain an applicable
    requirement
  • Presenting definition, clarification, or tutorial
    information to help interpret vendor information
  • Illustrating input and controls to produce
    additional standard language for the RFP

112
Delivering Assistance As Needed During the Process
  • Users actively engaged in a procurement and using
    the tool to help manage the process
  • Navigation through a standard process under
    user control
  • Modules corresponding to steps in the process
  • Consistent presentation of explanatory and
    clarifying information
  • Some decision logic to focus on requirements
  • Collection, storage, and management of
    procurement data
  • Use of gathered data to support required
    documentation
  • Users just visiting browsing for general
    information and help about EIT procurement and
    Section 508
  • Depending upon security, maybe browse agency-wide
    or beyond
  • Reuse of previous procurement experience from
    others

113
Delivering Assistance As Needed During the Process
  • Placeholder for graphic slides that show a series
    of mock-up screen images walking a thread through
    (a part of) the process

114
Conclusions
  • Valid Section 508 requirements from the
    procurement process map to information content in
    'resource documents'
  • Delivering the right content as an information
    service through appropriate tools at the right
    point in the procurement process can help meet
    the requirements

115
Maintaining an Information Base
  • Skip CraneAccessibility Forum Staff

116
Elements of an Information Base
  • Kinds of information
  • Process for maintaining
  • Participants in the process
  • Application to broader needs and interests

117
What Information?
  • EXAMPLES --
  • Access Board Standard (including additions and
    updates as they occur)
  • Resource Documents
  • Data on Product Features and Functions
  • RFP Language
  • Inspection / Acceptance testing methods and
    evaluation criteria

118
For What Purpose?
  • The Information Base is intended to grow over
    time as a living, relevant, and useful
    information resource that
  • Supports a broad-based constituency
  • Meets the needs of varied objectives, interests,
    and applications
  • Supports change
  • New technologies, product data, accessibility
    features
  • New Inspection / Acceptance testing methods and
    evaluation criteria

119
Process for Maintaining Information Base
  • Supports relevance, timeliness, and utility of
    information
  • Addresses
  • Content (What to include)
  • Currency (How to accommodate change)
  • Process (How that will be decided)
  • Participants (Who to include in the process)
  • Capitalizes on a network of communication and
    cooperation
  • Stakeholder community of knowledge, experience,
    and expertise
  • Proven process for reaching consensus

120
Participants in the Maintenance Process
  • The stakeholder community is already in place
    (industry, end-users, government, academia, and
    experts and researchers)
  • Significantly, the stakeholder community also
    represents the primary SOURCE of content
  • The interaction has to be managed

121
Structure of the Maintenance Process Supports
(1 of 2)
  • A need that must be addressed
  • If we build it, they will come but if we
    DONT build it, some one WILL
  • A collaborative community because
  • The Process
  • Is beyond the resources of any one stakeholder
    group within the community
  • Requires cooperative, consensus strategy
  • Should be driven from WITHIN, not imposed from
    outside

122
Structure of the Maintenance Process Supports
(2 of 2)
  • Combined interests of the community members
  • Everyone should realize Whats in it for me?
  • A compelling mission and business case
  • Flexibility

123
Benefits for the Stakeholder Community Whats
In It for Me? (1 of 2)
  • Advocacy and consumer groups can voice their
    requirements
  • Industry can interact with agencies and users on
    best practices for compliance
  • Government can gain valuable insight into product
    information for consistent
  • Needs assessment and market research
  • Product feature mapping to Section 508
  • Methods for evaluation as part of inspection /
    acceptance step

124
Benefits for the Stakeholder Community Whats
In It for Me? (2 of 2)
  • All stakeholders can
  • Understand issues from a wide range of
    perspectives
  • Contribute to the value of the information
  • Identify and resolve issues and opportunities

125
Flexibility of a Structure for the Maintenance
Process
  • Examples of structure form
  • Consortium
  • Subscription Services
  • Common characteristics of each form
  • Member driven
  • Member managed
  • Member supported
  • Resource leverage

126
Linking Efforts to Other Interests
  • Information Base should support other
    applications as part of the same Process
  • E-Gov / Integrated Acquisition Environment
  • Unify and Simplify Through Shared Services
  • Uses common building blocks
  • Integrated Vendor Profile Network Single point
    of vendor registration, initial capability
  • Consolidated eCatalog a directory of GWAC and
    MAC contracts to simplify selection and
    facilitate leverage of Government buying

127
Summary Information Base Should
  • Meet the needs of varied objectives, interests,
    and applications
  • Grow over time as a living, relevant, and useful
    resource
  • Be maintained using a process that capitalizes on
    a network of communication and cooperation
  • Support other applications as part of the same
    Process

128
Sun's Approach toDesktop Accessibility
  • Marney Beard
  • Sun Microsystems 

129
Overview
  • Assistive Technologies acquire information from
    desktop applications . . . by one means or
    another. It's inefficient for AT to gain
    information by guesswork.
  • The key to Sun's approach is a comprehensive and
    reliable interface, making a clear division of
    labor among the platform, the application, and
    the AT. This is the heart of the Java
    Accessibility API, and now the GNOME
    Accessibility Framework as well.
  • With GNOME, we have the first open source user
    environment to enable accessibility for diverse
    applications.
  • For the customer, these recent developments
    signal alternatives and opportunities in lower
    costs, more flexible development of AT, a wider
    development community, and broader support for
    accessibility.

130
At The Core Formal Division of Responsibility
  • Platform Define the Accessibility API implement
    it on the user-interface primitives supply AT
    building blocks (e.g., speech engines).
  • Application Fully implement platform
    accessibility API (e.g., provide labels, identify
    relationships among UI components), keyboard
    accessibility, etc.
  • Assistive Technology Focus on user interface
    fully use the platform accessibility API.

131
Benefits to the AT Vendor
  • Legacy approaches are very brittle Significant
    changes to the operating system lead to
    significant breakage in the information needed by
    AT.
  • The Accessibility API is a contract Assistive
    Technology Vendors can rely on it from one
    release of the platform to the next. Common
    properties are provided in common ways.
  • Development is faster and less error-prone It's
    easier to build new AT, adapt an existing
    product, and make enhancements over time.

132
Benefits to the Application Developer
  • Just as AT needs information, the application
    must provide it. A reliable API does this almost
    for free, with no compromises in functionality or
    performance.
  • Sun and other companies have built toolkits that
    implement the Java and GNOME Accessibility APIs,
    making components accessible by default.
  • With source code available for standard
    components, developers can easily copy common
    elements and build accessibility into custom
    components.

133
Expanding the Options Open Source Accessibility
  • All source code is available for examination.
    Interfaces and applications can be studied and
    understood.
  • AT developers can fix bugs and release their own
    patches. Contributions can go back into the
    common source, improving the base for all.
  • AT may be open source too. Acting as the
    "maintainer," an ATV can choose to accept code
    contributions from others.
  • Interest among more mainstream developers in the
    GNOME community is growing. Good ideas and
    constructive criticism abound.

134
Designed In From The Start GNOME Accessibility
  • Open source, like the GNOME desktop user
    environment itself. Project led by Sun, with many
    contributions from others (notably people from
    Ximian and RedHat).
  • Core accessibility features
  • Full keyboard accessibility, plus AccessX
    functionality built in
  • Full theme support - with a variety of themes
  • Comprehensive and extensible accessibility
    architecture

135
Designed In From The Start GNOME Accessibility  
  • Included assistive technology - also open source
  • Gnopernicus screen reader/magnifier with Braille
    support
  • GOK dynamic on-screen keyboard with switch
    support
  • Award-winning approach to accessibility Sun and
    the GNOME community were honored by the American
    Foundation of the Blind with the Helen Keller
    Achievement Award.

136
Benefits to the "508-Sensitive" Customer
  • You acquire and build a wide variety of
    applications. Section 508 requires you to be
    prepared to meet a wide variety of users' needs.
  • Open source provides options and alternatives to
    proprietary solutions. Development of AT will
    become more flexible, taking advantage of the
    wider development community.
  • Standard interfaces, common implementations,
    predictable access to information ... all reduce
    complexity, reduce error, reduce cost.
  • Ask about the architecture, not the
    accommodations in specific applications.
    Criticize and contribute!

137
Information Technology Technical Assistance and
Training Center
  • Promoting Accessibility Through Training and
    Assistance
  • Mimi Kessler
  • ITTATC

138
ITTATCs Mission
National Institute on Disability
and Rehabilitation Research H133A000405
139
ITTATC
In Collaboration With
  • Southeast DBTAC
  • Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental
    Access (CATEA)Georgia Institute of Technology,
    College of Architecture
  • World Institute on Disability
  • Inclusive Technologies
  • Law, Health Policy Disability CenterUniversity
    of Iowa College of LawWashington D.C. Office
  • Trace Research Development CenterUniversity of
    Wisconsin-Madison
  • Georgia Tech Research Institute
  • Information Technology Association of America
  • Jim Thatcher, Independent Consultant

140
Year 3 Goals
  • Increase contact with industry
  • Increase outreach to consumers
  • Increase training to underserved 508/255
    audiences
  • Provide more access to quality Technical
    Assistance
  • Provide more tools for TA and training
  • Increase collaboration with other groups with
    similar mission (GSA, DOL, FCC)

141
Methods to Achieve Goal 1
  • Increase Contact with Industry
  • Accessibility Training Preview presentation
  • Conducting train-the-trainer sessions
  • Business case / economic drivers for
    accessibility
  • Presentation for trainers
  • On-line presentation
  • On-line full course via EASI
  • Attending ITIs State IT Initiatives
  • Presentations for local IT organizations
  • To reach small and medium sized companies
  • Increased participation in industry standards
    organizations

142
Methods to Achieve Goal 2
  • Increase Outreach to Consumers
  • Toolkit presentation and demos for general
    audiences
  • Consumer trainings across the country starting in
    Spring 2003
  • Outreach to consumer organizations to train
    trainers
  • Added a full time Director of Consumer Training
    in DC

143
Methods to Achieve Goal 3(1 of 3)
  • Increase Training to Underserved 508/255
    Audiences
  • State officials IT, disability rights officers,
    and procurement
  • Assist with sharing information between states
  • Gain insight from Federal agencies and from
    others
  • Consumers with disabilities and their networked
    communities
  • Help them understand how to participate in the
    design process
  • Help them understand how industry works

144
Methods to Achieve Goal 3(2 of 3)
  • Increase Training to Underserved 508/255
    Audiences
  • Industry segments
  • Usability and Marketing
  • Small to medium sized companies
  • System Integrators
  • Application Service Providers
  • Knowledge Brokers (ex META/ Gartner)

145
Methods to Achieve Goal 3(3 of 3)
  • How to Reach These Audiences
  • Recruiting a Training Network of trainers across
    the country to match-make requests for training
    with people who train
  • Providing trainers with high quality training
    materials that are tailored to audiences
  • Providing incentive monies depending
  • On the right presentation
  • Given to the right audience
  • By the right presenter

146
Methods to Achieve Goal 4
  • Provide More Access to Quality TA
  • TA knowledgebase
  • Resource for a wide range of people
  • Will be able to query it and 4 other sites on our
    site
  • TA resource network
  • Increasing the technical expertise of the
    accessibility community
  • List of consultants and accessibility
    professionals
  • TA reports, pamphlets, and brochures

147
Methods to Achieve Goal 5
  • Provide More Tools for TA and Training
  • Customized training programs
  • Provided by phone or by Wizard on the web
  • Knowledgebase as resource to trainers, technical
    people and consumers
  • Tools to experience barriers to EIT
  • On-line and telephone assistance
  • Search feature added to redesigned web site

148
Methods to Achieve Goal 6
  • Increase Collaboration with Other Groups
  • GSA and other Federal Agencies
  • No reinventing the wheel
  • Linked search results from 4 other authoritative
    sites
  • Section508.gov (GSA)
  • Assistivetech.net (NIDRR)
  • AccessIT (NIDRR)
  • Disabilityinfo.gov (DOL)

149
New Resources Added
  • Redesigned web site for easier access to
    information including search results from othe
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