Our project entailed:
We found that the market analysis for vendor products and services that met our goal-to seek a qualified and experienced vendor-could conceivably be accomplished in seven steps.
Step 1. Determine the market research tools. Information from magazine articles, vendor interviews, and hands-on experience was useful. We also considered using one or more various of the market research tools-for example, check the Internet for three vendors, sources sought synopsis, call vendors, use the pre-bid solicitation conference, or call other agencies.
Step 2. Review vendor candidate credentials. We will require each potential vendor to provide a VPAT.
Step 3. Evaluate Vendors qualifications. Someone conducting market research must be aware of the accessibility standards, required tools, web experiences, work-related references, and ethical as well as technical job performance we require for this project. They must be able to review the vendors' qualifications and then rank them against documented evaluation criteria.
Step 4. Issue an RFP. This needs to be conducted under leadership and guidance of acquisitions and general counsel staff with significant input from the Information Technology, Equal Opportunities, and Human Resource Management departments.
Step 5. Rank the vendors proposals. Requires convening concerned parties to review and rank vendor proposal submissions.
Step 6. Conduct Vendor Interviews. Require the top three vendors provide oral presentations.
Step 7. Select a Vendor. We used a Matrix of Vendors whose products had been tested and reported by the Accessibility Forum to quickly narrow down our choices to vendors A, B, and C. Cost was not a factor in this scenario.
These steps provided a vehicle in which we could maintain systems compatibility with the agency's infrastructure, achieve customer satisfaction with proper accessibility to the agency's Internet and Intranet web pages and forms, and demonstrate management's accountability in meeting performance measurements.
Section 508 requires that when Federal agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology, they shall ensure that the electronic and information technology allows Federal employees and members of the public with disabilities to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access to and use of information and data by Federal employees and members of the public who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the Federal agency.
Therefore, Section 508 accessibility, in terms of web pages, can be summed up by saying that anyone, should be able to visit any 'dot gov' site, and get a full and complete understanding of the information contained on the site, as well as the full and complete ability to interact with the site.
The purpose of this document is to provide the necessary knowledge and framework for conducting market research to acquire vendor services to make an agencies' internet/intranet web pages comply with the web-based requirements of Section 508. This information may be useful to Section 508 Coordinators, requiring officials, and software and web developers.
The scope of this document relates to §1194.22, Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Your boss has given you the responsibility of doing a market research report to find a vendor to provide services to make your agencies' Internet/web pages and Intranet/web pages compliant with Section 508. Your agency currently has a disabled population of 5% but all your web pages need to be accessible to provide information to the disabled public also. The assumption was made that we were working in a "Perfect World" where necessary funds were allocated to perform the task.
The vendor shall modify web pages within the existing system environment, notwithstanding any acquisition necessary to make the environment compliant.
The effort includes:
This effort does not include:
Using the standards set out in Section 508, Subpart B: Technical standards 1194.22, the successful bidder will provide the following:
The vendor shall use the following criteria, in accordance with §1194.22 Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications, in determining web site compliance with Section 508. Each element should be evaluated, page-by-page, to determine if the element applies. The vendor may choose to document the results using the Web Accessibility Template (shown below).
a. Text Tags
A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content).
b. Multimedia Presentations
Equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the presentation.
c. Color
Web pages shall be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup.
d. Readability (Style Sheets)
Documents shall be organized so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet.
e. Server-side Image Maps
Redundant text links shall be provided for each active region of a server-side image map.
f. Client-side Image Maps
Client-side image maps shall be provided instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape.
g. Data Table
Row and column headers shall be identified for data tables.
h. Data Table
Markup shall be used to associate data cells and header cells for data tables that have two or more logical levels of rows or column headers.
i. Frames
Frames shall be titled with text that facilitates frame identification and navigation.
j. Flicker Rate
Pages shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz.
k. Text-Only Alternative
A text-only page, with equivalent information or functionality, shall be provided to make a web site comply with the provisions of these standards, when compliance cannot be accomplished in any other way. The content of the text-only page shall be updated whenever the primary page changes.
l. Scripts
When pages utilize scripting languages to display content, or to create interface elements, the information provided by the script shall be identified with functional text that can be read by assistive technology.
m. Applets and Plug-Ins
When a web page requires that an applet, plug-in or other application be present on the client system to interpret page content, the page must provide a link to a plug-in or applet that complies with §1194.21(a) through (l).
n. Electronic Forms
When electronic forms are designed to be completed on-line, the form shall allow people using assistive technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues.
o. Navigation Links
A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links.
p. Time Delays
When a timed response is required, the user shall be alerted and given sufficient time to indicate more time is required.
The purpose of the Web Accessibility Template is to assist the vendor in documenting the compliance of the web site.
The table provides a more detailed view of the subsection 1194.22. There are three columns in each table. The first column contains the lettered paragraphs of the subsections. The second column describes when compliance is fully or partially met or when the element is not applicable. The third column contains any additional remarks and explanations. The fourth column is used to describe the recommended remediation.
Date:
Name of web site/page:
Contact for more Information:
Criteria | Compliance(Fully, Partially or N/A) | Remarks and explanations | Recommended Remediation |
---|---|---|---|
(a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content). | |||
(b) Equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the presentation. | |||
(c) Web pages shall be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup. | |||
(d) Documents shall be organized so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet. | |||
(e) Redundant text links shall be provided for each active region of a server-side image map. | |||
(f) Client-side image maps shall be provided instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape. | |||
(g) Row and column headers shall be identified for data tables. | |||
(h) Markup shall be used to associate data cells and header cells for data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers. | |||
(i) Frames shall be titled with text that facilitates frame identification and navigation | |||
(j) Pages shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. | |||
(k) A text-only page, with equivalent information or functionality, shall be provided to make a web site comply with the provisions of this part, when compliance cannot be accomplished in any other way. The content of the text-only page shall be updated whenever the primary page changes. | |||
(l) When pages utilize scripting languages to display content, or to create interface elements, the information provided by the script shall be identified with functional text that can be read by Assistive Technology. | |||
(m) When a web page requires that an applet, plug-in or other application be present on the client system to interpret page content, the page must provide a link to a plug-in or applet that complies with Û1194.21(a) through (l). | |||
(n) When electronic forms are designed to be completed on-line, the form shall allow people using Assistive Technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues. | |||
(o) A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links. | |||
(p) When a timed response is required, the user shall be alerted and given sufficient time to indicate more time is required. |
The Market Research Template is a tool that can be used to measure the vendor's potential capability to deliver a compliant product and meet the agency's expectation.
Criteria Does the vendor provided the following: | Meets criteria?(Yes, No, or Partly) | Remarks and explanations |
---|---|---|
(1) Written description of compliance methods. | ||
(2) Prioritized report of all identified problems. | ||
(3) Available to meet with agency prior to remediation. | ||
(4) Available to correct problems as identified in the report from step 2. | ||
(5) Test modified pages. | ||
(6) Documentation of test case scenarios used. | ||
(7) Documentation to describe compliance effort. | ||
(8) Documentation to aid future web development. | ||
(9) Single point-of-contact for post implementation. | ||
(10) On-going support for at least six months. | ||
(11) Demonstrate how Section 508 is exceeded. | ||
(12) Demonstrate excellent understanding of requirements. | ||
(13) Compliance on a sample of the agency's existing web pages for demo purposes. | ||
(14) Possesses industry certification(s) relevant to Section 508 compliance. | ||
(15) Demonstrates successes and provides reference in meeting Section 508 compliance. |
Time did not permit the Market Research results. We intended to use the Market Research Template to elevate several vendors such as Human Factors International (HFI) www.humanfactors.com, Norman-Nielsen Group www.nngroup.com, and User Interface Engineering (UIE) www.uie.com to determine how each meet our criteria.