[blindlaw] Fwd: U.S. Access Board Updates Requirements for Information and Communication Technology

Sai legal at s.ai
Mon Jan 9 21:22:17 UTC 2017


FYI, this is the new Access Board regulation on § 508 accessibility for
PDFs and other tech.

Summary: <
https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule
>

Full version: <
https://www.access-board.gov/attachments/article/1877/ict-rule.pdf>

- Sai

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: United States Access Board <access-board at service.govdelivery.com>
Date: Mon, Jan 9, 2017 at 12:57 PM
Subject: U.S. Access Board Updates Requirements for Information and
Communication Technology


*U.S. Access Board Updates Requirements for Information and Communication
Technology *

[image: laptop with collection of ICT, including laptop (Sec. 508 and Sec.
255 on screen), cell phones, tablet, and disk]The U.S. Access Board today
released a final rule
<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTcwMTA5LjY4NTA5MDUxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE3MDEwOS42ODUwOTA1MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MTE3NjgzJmVtYWlsaWQ9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnlAc2FpemFpLmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnlAc2FpemFpLmNvbSZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&100&&&https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule>
that updates accessibility requirements for information and communication
technology (ICT) in the federal sector covered by Section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act. The rule also refreshes guidelines for
telecommunications equipment subject to Section 255 of the Communications
Act.

"This update is essential to ensure that the Board's Section 508 standards
and the Communications Act guidelines keep pace with the ever-changing
technologies covered and continue to meet the access needs of people with
disabilities," states Sachin Pavithran, Chair of the Board's ICT ad hoc
committee. "The Access Board is grateful for the input it received from the
public and stakeholders throughout the rulemaking process which greatly
enhanced the final product."

The rule jointly updates and reorganizes the Section 508 standards and
Section 255 guidelines in response to market trends and innovations, such
as the convergence of technologies. The refresh also harmonizes these
requirements with other guidelines and standards both in the U.S. and
abroad, including standards issued by the European Commission and with the
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), a globally recognized
voluntary consensus standard for web content and ICT. In fact, the rule
references Level A and Level AA Success Criteria and Conformance
Requirements in WCAG 2.0 and applies them not only to websites, but also to
electronic documents and software.

"Throughout this process," according to Access Board Executive Director
David M. Capozzi, "the Board worked very hard to ensure consistency with
other consensus guidelines and international standards to promote global
harmonization and facilitate compliance." He noted that, "ICT requirements
that are closely aligned remove ambiguity, increase marketplace
competition, and lead to better accessibility features and outcomes."

The updated requirements specify the technologies covered and provide both
performance-based and technical requirements for hardware, software, and
support documentation and services. Access is addressed for all types of
disabilities, including those pertaining to vision, hearing, color
perception, speech, cognition, manual dexterity, and reach. The rule, which
will be published later this month in the *Federal Register*, restructures
provisions so that they are categorized by functionality instead of by
product type due to the increasingly multi-functional capabilities of ICT
products. Revisions are also made to improve ICT usability, including
interoperability with assistive technologies, and to clarify the types of
ICT covered, such as electronic documents.

The Board released a proposed version of the rule for public comment in
February 2015 and, before that, earlier drafts of the rule. The rule is
based on recommendations from an advisory panel the Board chartered, the
Telecommunications and Electronic and Information Technology Advisory
Committee which included representatives from industry, disability groups,
government agencies, foreign countries, and other stakeholders.

The rule will take effect in one year. The Section 508 standards, which are
incorporated into the federal government's procurement regulations, apply
to ICT procured, developed, maintained, or used by federal agencies. The
Communications Act guidelines cover telephones, cell phones, pagers,
computers with modems, switching equipment and other telecommunications
equipment.

The Board will conduct a webinar
<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTcwMTA5LjY4NTA5MDUxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE3MDEwOS42ODUwOTA1MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MTE3NjgzJmVtYWlsaWQ9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnlAc2FpemFpLmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnlAc2FpemFpLmNvbSZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&101&&&https://www.accessibilityonline.org/ao/session/?id=110588>
on the rule on February 2.

For further information, visit the Board's website
<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTcwMTA5LjY4NTA5MDUxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE3MDEwOS42ODUwOTA1MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MTE3NjgzJmVtYWlsaWQ9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnlAc2FpemFpLmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnlAc2FpemFpLmNvbSZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&102&&&https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh>
or contact Timothy Creagan at (202) 272-0016 (v), (202) 272-0074 (TTY), or
508 at access-board.gov.



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