Industry Perspective of Section 508 John Godfrey (202) Information Technology Industry Council NIST Accessibility May 2001

ITI and Section 508 Association of the largest U.S. IT companies –ITI members employ over 1.2 million in the U.S. and perform over 15% of all U.S. industrially funded research and development Supported Section 508 as a participant in E&IT Accessibility Advisory Committee Our goal: –successful implementation of Section 508 for government, industry, and employees and members of the public with disabilities

What ITI members are doing on Section 508 R&D of accessible products and services –examples are featured throughout this conference –progress dates from long before Section 508 –Federal market demand is increasing the pace Participating in policy and other forums –use good public policy and education to promote efficient, market-driven demand for accessibility Results benefit all users of E&IT –not only people with disabilities

Performance standards Performance standards (like most in 508) are preferable to prescriptive design standards –permit innovative accessibility solutions –preserve flexibility to design alternative approaches, whether built-in or bundled Performance standards may be more subjective to evaluate than design standards –HOWEVER: “forced” objectivity at cost of design freedom would put a ceiling on accessibility

Bundling and interoperability Plug-and-play compatibility and customized, bundled solutions are typical industry practice Customization depends on interoperability between parts of systems –proprietary interfaces are used by vendors and integrators to build bundled systems –open interfaces can be used more broadly, but consensus may require more time and effort Over time, features often migrate into core

IT-AT compatibility Compatibility with Assistive Technology (AT) is high priority for Section 508 implementation AT vendors have specialized knowledge in their area, but not necessarily in E&IT –dialogue and collaboration are needed ITI-administered Committee V2 –American National Standards Institute processes –project under way to define parameters of AT compatibility; results could be used to define IT-AT protocols for specific systems, devices

Efficient procurement An efficient market requires communication –agencies define their E&IT needs, incorporating 508 provisions, training/education materials, and communication with all stakeholders –agencies perform market research to find out what is available that meets their needs –vendors who meet needs will gain in the market Industry will communicate with government –voluntary communication about specifically how products and services support the 508 provisions

Industry’s responsibility to communicate to government Finding the right level of information to give –must be useful and usable by procurement officers –a one-size-fits-all “508 certification” would be rigid, subject to interpretation, and give too little information –alternative work in progress: a voluntary Web based template mapped to the 508 provisions Experience will show how to improve the communication and sharpen the market

A partnership Consumers, government, E&IT industry, and AT industry must continue to collaborate for Section 508 to succeed IT industry’s jobs: –work with users to learn about accessibility needs –do our part to help our customers make informed choices, get best value, and buy what they need –innovate and produce accessibility solutions