U.S. General Services Administration Integrating Accessibility Into Contracts for Services with Vendors presented by Jim Kindrick GSA Government-wide Section 508 Accessibility Program

Agenda Integrating Accessibility into Contracts Who Is Responsible? Contracts for Services –Services that Deliver EIT –Services that Modify EIT –Services that Support EIT Use –Services that Advise on EIT –Services that Deliver Electronic Information 2

Integrating Accessibility Into Contracts Basic Acquisition Phases and Governing Regulations Need FAR 7.103(q) Include Section 508 requirements in acquisition planning Requirement FAR (f); (d) Identify Section 508 standards when describing agency need Research FAR (a)(3)(vii) Consider Section 508 requirements when assessing EIT availability Solicitation FAR (a) Ensure EIT meets the applicable Section 508 standards Section 508 is incorporated into Federal Acquisition Regulation! 3

Who Is Responsible? Contracting Officer 508 Contract Language Require Due Diligence Requiring Authority ( COR, PMO ) 508 Due Diligence Identify Deliverables EIT Specialist 508 Requirements Identify Technical Requirements EIT Vendor 508 Conforming Solutions Provide Accessibility Information End User 508 Advocate Require Equivalent Access Orchestrate It takes a village! 4

Contracting Officer Responsibilities Ensuring that the Requiring Authority: – Identify specific deliverables – Determine applicable accessibility requirements – Conduct market research – Document their Section 508 due diligence Making sure the solicitation itself is accessible 5

Contracting Officer Coordination Contracting Officers must coordinate with: – Requiring Authority/COR to: Ensure that requirements, inspection and acceptance criteria are appropriately documented in solicitations Determine and document proposal evaluation factors – Requiring Authority/COR and PMO to participate in proposal evaluation 6

Requiring Authority Responsibilities Working with EIT/Accessibility Specialists to: – Identify specific deliverables – Identify applicable accessibility requirements, commercial availability, and acceptance criteria Obtaining vendor accessibility information Determining evaluation factors and participate in proposal evaluation 7

Requiring Authority Coordination Requiring Authorities must coordinate with: – Contracting Officer to document due diligence – EIT/Accessibility Specialists to: Determine EIT deliverables, accessibility requirements, commercial availability, and acceptance criteria Conduct deliverable inspection and acceptance – Program Management to determine evaluation factors and participate in proposal evaluation 8

EIT Specialist Responsibilities Working with Requiring Authority/PMO to: – Clarify specific deliverables to meet program need – Determine applicable accessibility requirements – Interpret vendor market research information – Determine inspection and acceptance criteria Supporting deliverable inspection/acceptance 9

EIT Specialist Coordination EIT Specialists must coordinate with: – Accessibility Specialists to: Identify applicable accessibility requirements Identify inspection and acceptance criteria Conduct deliverable inspection and acceptance – Requiring Authority to understand “best meets” consistent with the agency’s business needs 10

Contracts For Services What kinds of services require accessibility? – Services that provide EIT-related deliverables. Deliverables that are themselves EIT subject to Section 508 requirements, or … Deliverables that affect Section 508 compliance of existing or future EIT. The key is how you specify the contract deliverables! 11

Section 508 Definition of EIT Any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem used in the creation, conversion, or duplication of data or information Does not include any equipment that contains embedded information technology that is used as an integral part of the product, but the principal function of which is not the acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. 12

Services and EIT-Related Deliverables Services that Deliver EIT – Development, Integration Services that Modify EIT – Maintenance, Enhancements Services that Support EIT Use – Operations, Helpdesk, Documentation, Training Services that Advise on EIT – Architecture, Consulting, Research Services that Deliver Electronic Information – Subscriptions, Databases, Telecommunications Services, Electronic Training Service contracts often include multiple deliverables! 13

Typical Service Contract Examples Maintenance Development Operations Integration COTS Product and Supportand Training and Maintenance and Support and Maintenance and Developmentand Maintenance and Training and Support This could go on and on! 14

Services that Deliver EIT Website Development: hosted or delivered Software Development: apps and platforms Hardware Development: less common COTS Products delivered as part of a service Bundled with maintenance, support, or training? 15

How Much You Specify Up Front Increasing degree of specificity at the time of contracting Unknown Product Features Specific technical requirements cannot be documented up front Known Product Features Specific technical requirements can be documented up front More specified features implies more specific requirements! 16

Integrating “Known” Accessibility Specific accessibility requirements should be determined and documented in contract Solicitation should require PAT with proposals Accessibility requirements should be part of proposal evaluation criteria and deliverable inspection and acceptance This is the same as a COTS buy! 17

Example Solicitation Language “Technical standards from 36 CFR part 1194 Subpart B apply to this acquisition – Applicable Standards: Software and Operating Systems – Applicable Deliverable(s): Xxxxxxx xxxx Software“ XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Associate requirements with specific deliverables! 18

Another Good Example “ All electronic and information technology (EIT) procured through this solicitation … must meet the applicable accessibility standards at 36 CFR CFR Software Applications and Operating Systems 36 CFR Web-Based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications 36 CFR Functional Performance Criteria 36 CFR Information, Documentation and Support The contractor shall indicate for each line item in the schedule of items whether each product is compliant or noncompliant with the accessibility standards at 36 CFR Further, the offer must indicate where full details of compliance can be found (e.g., with offer, vendor's website or other location).” Require accessibility information! 19

Compare With These Examples “Vendor must comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794d).” “All products/services must be in compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.” Agencies must comply – Vendors need specific requirements! 20

Integrating “Unknown” Accessibility Functional Performance Criteria should be documented in contract Solicitation should require experience/past performance with Section 508 conformance Contract should require PAT with ICT delivery and include as inspection/acceptance criteria Don’t forget documentation and support! 21

Example Solicitation Language “Contracted vendor support staffs producing EIT deliverables must have a working knowledge of Section 508 and performing Quality Assurance Testing for Section 508; must include this information for the individuals proposed on the contract.” This was in addition to and ! 22

Services that Modify EIT Software Maintenance: license or renewal Hardware Maintenance: e.g. printer System Maintenance: e.g. network, telecom System Integration: interconnected systems Modifications include patches, replacements, and upgrades! 23

Maintenance Services Maintenance contracts should require that modifications do not detract from existing accessibility, and take opportunity to improve – Maintain: to keep in an existing state (as of repair, efficiency, or validity): preserve from failure or decline Maintenance often includes enhancements: new EIT! 24

Example Language for Maintenance “The contractor shall ensure maintenance upgrades, substitutions, and replacements to equipment and software pursuant to this contract do not reduce the original level of conformance with the applicable Section 508 standards at the time of contract award. The Agency reserves the right to evaluate upgrades, replacements, and substitutions using a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template or requiring test units to perform hands-on Section 508 and accessibility testing before final acceptance.” Assumes accessibility already ensured in original contract! 25

Example Language for Integration “When the contractor provides installation, configuration or integration services for equipment and software pursuant to this contract, the contractor shall not install, configure or integrate the equipment and software in a way that reduces the level of conformance with the applicable Section 508 standards. XXX reserves the right to perform testing on a contractor’s EIT solution in order to validate the contractor has installed, configured or integrated the EIT solution in a way that does not reduce the level of conformance with the applicable Section 508 standards.” XX This was in addition to specific product requirements! 26

More Example Language “Maintenance shall include bug fixes, patches, and technical support.” … “This requirement is for Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) which must meet the accessibility standards established by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 7941). The specific Technical Standards that apply are Technical Standard: Software Applications and also applies. In responding to the RFQ, vendors must state if the products offered meet the identified Technical Standards.” Restates requirements, but what about ? 27

Services that Support EIT Use Helpdesk: software, apps, telecom EIT Documentation: most all EIT contracts! Operations: includes maintenance and support Training: includes electronic content and UI Support is – but often includes more! 28

36 CFR Part § Information, documentation, and support. a)Product support documentation provided to end-users shall be made available in alternate formats upon request, at no additional charge. b)End-users shall have access to a description of the accessibility and compatibility features of products in alternate formats or alternate methods upon request, at no additional charge. c)Support services for products shall accommodate the communication needs of end-users with disabilities. Almost all EIT contracts should include ! 29

Services that Advise on EIT Strategic EIT Consulting, Research and Support Enterprise, System, and Solution Architectures – Typically produce information content deliverables Will the delivered information include topics that address EIT products and EIT-related services? Will the delivered information be in electronic format? Advice on EIT accessibility should be in scope! 30

EIT Consulting Services Solicitation should require knowledge and experience with Section 508 accessibility – Ensure that the expertise, advice and consultation service provider will address Section 508 and EIT accessibility when making deliverables Hard to find real life examples! 31

Services that Deliver Information What kinds of services require accessibility? – Services that provide ICT-related deliverables. Deliverables that are themselves ICT subject to Section 508 requirements, or … Deliverables that affect Section 508 compliance. The Authoring Tool is a critical element! 32

Services that Deliver Information: intention matters What you plan to do with information matters – If you plan to make it public facing, or include it in official agency communication … – …then you would be smart to require the vendor to deliver it to you in accessible form It is your responsibility, why not require vendors to make it easy? 33

Example Solicitation Language “Contractors are responsible for having updated authoring and testing tools to produce Section 508 output on their own; the Government will not provide these tools.” The Authoring Tool is a critical element! 34

Example Solicitation Language: deliverables “All written deliverables (reports, charts, posters, presentations, etc.), regardless of format or intended audience, shall be delivered electronically and conform to the (Department) Technical Standards for written documents that are available at: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX Being prepared for the future! 35

QUESTIONS???? Presenter: Jim Kindrick, GSA BA Team For more training contact Helen Chamberlain at 36