Consequence of Neglecting Accessibility in Initial Federal Technology Development, Detailed in New Report
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been criticised for failing to ensure that its IT systems comply with federal accessibility standards under Section 508. A recent review by the VA's Office of Inspector General found that only four out of 30 sampled systems met the federal accessibility standards.
The review focused on the process involved in procuring IT equipment and communication technologies that are compliant with Section 508. It was discovered that the VA's lack of involvement in the procurement process resulted in the procurement of systems that do not work for individuals with disabilities.
The report emphasises the importance of ensuring compliance from the outset, as addressing issues after the fact can be costly and time-consuming for system owners and program offices. Going back and working with vendors to fix accessibility issues can often result in additional costs.
The review involved obtaining evaluation reports, reviewing market research documents, and interviewing individuals involved in the procurement process. It found that many systems failed the 508 compliance check after the fact, once the 508 Office reviewed it after they had already been obtained.
The report makes four recommendations to the VA, including training for staff, clarifying roles and responsibilities, ensuring communication with the 508 Office, and collaborating on procedures to ensure compliance. The VA has agreed to implement these recommendations, with the 508 Office coordinating training for acquisition staff, outlining duties in policy, and collaborating with the acquisition office to implement a process for market research.
The report also suggests that leaders should prioritise and enforce 508 standards to address accessibility issues across the VA. It found that the report's findings apply across government, with contracting officers, the 508 Office, system owners, and program managers all needing to prioritise 508 compliance.
In practice, agencies like the VA have been found lacking in several key steps and procedures to ensure Section 508 compliance during IT systems and communication technology procurement. These steps include training and awareness, early and thorough market research, inclusion of Section 508 requirements in solicitation and contract documents, collaboration with accessibility offices, modular contracting and deliverable reviews, documentation and oversight, and policy and procedure development.
To address these issues, the VA is taking steps to improve its procurement process. It is now on the system owners to fix the non-compliant issues, which generally means they would have to go back to the vendor to fix what needs to be compliant. The report focuses on critical or bedrock systems, including a system used to train VA benefit staff, and highlights the importance of ensuring these systems are accessible to all individuals.
- The federal workforce reimagined should prioritize the use of technology that is compliant with Section 508 standards, such as the system used to train VA benefit staff, to ensure accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
- To ensure Section 508 compliance within the federal workforce, it is essential to conduct early and thorough market research, collaborate with accessibility offices, and follow steps like training and awareness, modular contracting, and policy development during IT systems and communication technology procurement.
