[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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