Archived: NEW RULES PROMOTE EQUAL ACCESS TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n


FOR RELEASE: December 21, 2000	Contact: Jim Bradshaw (202) 401-2310

NEW RULES PROMOTE EQUAL ACCESS TO INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Today's publication of final rules for Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 marks an historic breakthrough in the effort to promote equal access to information for people with disabilities, according to a federal panel. Such items as text labels for graphics on government Web pages, desktop software that is compatible with assistive technology and hardware that meets certain height and reach requirements will be mandatory beginning in mid-2001.

In a memo to the government's chief information officers, the federal Chief Information Officers Council declared that with the new standards published in today's Federal Register, "history is being made."

"These standards, which have been in the works since 1998 when the Rehabilitation Act was reauthorized, establish 'curb cuts' for the information age," said the memo from Craig Luigart, Education Department chief information officer, and Jim Flyzik, Treasury Department chief information officer, speaking on behalf of the CIO council.

The regulations, available at www.access-board.gov and www.section508.gov, provide among other things that:

Federal employees with disabilities are able to use information technology to do their jobs; and
Members of the public with disabilities who are seeking information from federal sources will be able to use information technology to access the material on equal footing with people who do not have disabilities.

"The CIO Council believes that fully implementing and supporting Section 508 will not only have a positive effect within our own agencies, but upon society at large," Luigart said.

He predicted the regulations would help all employees, "whether they are a mobile worker using speech recognition, or an individual browsing the web with a PDA (personal digital assistant) requiring text labels for images."

Luigart also pointed out that the benefits are broad — an aging population stands to benefit, too. He cited statistics that show that by age 75, "fully three-quarters of the population will have some type of disability."

Judith E. Heumann, assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services, endorsed the new rules, saying, "It is the responsibility of the federal government to take a lead role to insure access in the area of technology for individuals with disabilities who have a right to access public information."

Luigart and Flyzik said the standards were developed by the Access Board, an independent federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities. The board consulted with the information technology industry, as well as disability advocates, worldwide standards groups, members of academia and federal officials.

"Designing for accessibility is neither hard nor expensive when done in the development phase," Luigart said, noting that the enforcement provision for procurement of information technology does not become effective until six months from today.

Luigart stressed that accessibility to information technology has long been a nonpartisan issue with strong support in all branches of government. "The issuance of the final Section 508 rule caps off a decade of both parties working together to improve rights and opportunities for people with disabilities," beginning with passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: A copy of the memo follows.

MEMORANDUM FOR CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICERS

FROM:		Craig Luigart, CIO, Department of Education Jim Flyzik, CIO, Department of Treasury

SUBJECT:		Publication of Final Regulations Implementing Section 508

As you know, history is being made today as the final regulations for Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended) are published in the Federal Register. These standards, which have been in the works since 1998 when the Rehabilitation Act was re-authorized, establish "curb-cuts" for the information age.

Speaking on behalf of the CIO Council, echoing the goals of the CIO Council Strategic Plan, we proudly join with the rest of Federal government's corporate management in committing to support full implementation of the Section 508 standards.

These standards (available at www.access-board.gov and www.section508.gov) will insure that:

Federal employees with disabilities are able to use information technology (IT) to do their jobs; and
Members of the Public with disabilities who are seeking information from Federal sources will be able to use IT to access the information on equal footing with people who do not have disabilities.

The 508 standards require such things as text labels for graphics on web pages, desktop software that is compatible with Assistive Technology, and hardware that meets certain height and reach requirements.

The standards were developed by the Access Board in close consultation with members of the IT industry, disability advocates, world-wide standards groups, members of academia, and Federal officials. While some industry representatives have expressed concern about their IT product meeting all of section 508's requirements, a number of vendors have already made significant inroads into the accessibility arena by releasing accessible versions of their products.

With 70 percent of the disabled population either un- or under-employed, and given the tight labor market we presently face, complying with the 508 standards will increase our ability to tap into this under-utilized labor market. The 508 standards are critical because they mean that Federal agencies will be able to take advantage of this untapped pool of capability. The CIO Council believes that fully implementing and supporting Section 508 will not only have a positive affect within our own agencies, but upon society at large. Making information technology accessible is critical to keeping our economy growing by insuring that all Americans may work. Ten percent of Americans with some type of disability could benefit from having accessible information technology in their workplace.

While the standards are targeted to improve the accessibility of IT for people with disabilities, they are forward looking and will benefit many who may become disabled as they age. Statistics show that by age 75 fully three quarters of the population will have some type of disability. Industry has long recognized that the usability improvements made with the 508 standards will help all workers - whether they are a mobile worker using speech recognition, or an individual browsing the web with a PDA requiring text labels for images. It makes good business sense to develop IT for the aging population while marketing to younger people who want improved usability.

Designing for accessibility is not hard or expensive when done in the development phase and that is why the enforcement provision for procurement of IT does not become effective until 6 months from today. Your agency's Procurement Executives will need to play a key role in adopting the section 508 rules. We look forward to the FAR Council fully supporting and incorporating the 508 rules into the acquisition rules all agencies use to govern how they procure IT.

Accessibility of IT to people with disabilities has long been a non-partisan issue with strong support in all branches of government. The issuance of the final Section 508 rule caps off a decade of both parties working together to improve rights and opportunities for people with disabilities. The decade began in 1990 with President Bush signing the touchstone of disability rights --the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Progress has continued with President Clinton signing the amendments to the Rehabilitation Act in August 1998 and the Assistive Technology Act in November 1998. The CIO Council looks forward to working with President-elect Bush to achieve successful completion of the goals established by his father and continued by President Clinton.

To provide technical assistance to Federal agencies in implementing section 508, the General Services Administration and Access Board established an interagency initiative known as the Federal IT Accessibility Initiative (FITAI). Each of your agencies has identified a point-of-contact to serve as a liaison to the FITAI (see www.section508.gov). The FITAI has established a series of educational programs for agency 508 IT Coordinators, state and Federal procurement officials, industry representatives, and webmasters. The FITAI, with the Department of Education, has let contracts to provide a National Electronic and Information Technology Demonstration Center that will be open to all Americans as a way to showcase vendor products complying with the 508 standard.

In closing, making IT accessible is not just the morally right thing to do -- it is the smart thing to do. We, as a country, sit on the cusp of the dawn of the Information Age. We have the potential to give millions of Americans an even greater freedom in cyberspace. In the end, in the not completely knowable terrain of the human heart is the real argument for all these efforts. We ask you to look into yours, and to move forward with us together in the challenges that lie ahead.

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