In the first update to the guidance in a decade, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) today issued marching orders to agencies that aim to “advance digital accessibility by maintaining an accessible Federal technology environment, promoting accessible digital experiences, and continuing the implementation of accessibility standards.”
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act – a law that requires Federal technology to be accessible – was last updated in 2013.
“Currently, 61 million Americans live with a disability, but nearly half of the most popular Federal Government websites are not fully accessible to all Americans,” the Dec. 21 White House press release reads. “This lack of accessibility could lead to unequal access to critical services for millions of Americans.”
OMB said it is releasing updated guidance that “requires Federal agencies to put accessibility at the center of the Federal Government digital experience – so government can truly deliver for all Americans.”
In a memo dubbed “Strengthening Digital Accessibility and the Management of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act,” OMB Director Shalanda Young outlines the areas on which agencies must focus to build and sustain an accessible Federal technology environment.
Specifically, the memo calls on agencies to establish an agency-wide Section 508 program and designate a leader accountable for defining and overseeing digital accessibility processes – including how digital accessibility issues are reported, tracked, and resolved – within 30 days.
The memo also calls on agencies to establish policies and procedures to manage the accessibility of information and communications technology (ICT).
Within 90 days, OMB is directing agencies to establish digital accessibility statements on all their websites as well as establish a public feedback mechanism for receiving complaints or reports about accessibility issues with their websites and digital services and begin to track, review, and address feedback.
On the procurement front, the memo is encouraging agencies to “include Section 508 program managers or other digital accessibility subject matter experts as key stakeholders throughout the acquisition lifecycle” to account for their obligation to procure accessible ICT from buyers and suppliers.
“Agencies should establish a formalized process or plan to ensure that all agency electronic communications are accessible to the maximum extent practicable, and that the agency integrates accessibility reviews of electronic content, such as testing content with people with disabilities and various assistive technologies, prior to publication and distribution, whether internal or public,” the memo states on creating, communicating, and delivering accessible content.
Additionally, OMB tasked agencies with regularly scanning web content using both automated and manual testing tools and processes to fully assess whether accessibility requirements are met and immediately prioritize remediation if not.
The final section of the 17-page memo, “Cultivate a Positive Culture of Digital Accessibility,” encourages agencies to offer Section 508 and digital accessibility training to employees on a regular basis and develop an internal digital accessibility strategic roadmap.
The General Services Administration is also tapped to look into setting up a standardized accessibility conformance reporting process for vendors and a testing lab with specialists to do assessments and user research related to accessibility within the first year. The agency will be establishing a governmentwide service to help agencies buy accessibility-related products and services, per the memo’s instructions.
OMB tasked the CIO Council with looking into a governmentwide program to provide assistive technology devices and consultation services to agencies within six months. Training and certifications for Section 508 program managers is another focus.
The new directions for agencies come nearly three months after OMB issued long-awaited digital experience guidance, which also featured some mandates on accessibility.
When the new IDEA Act guidance was issued in September, Federal CIO Clare Martorana said only two percent of government forms are currently digitized, 45 percent of websites are not mobile friendly, and 60 percent of websites are not fully usable by those who use assistive technologies.
“This is unacceptable. We can and must do better,” Martorana said.
