Welcome to the Section 508 Blog...conversations about Section 508
Featured Blog Posts
Top 10 Blog Posts of 2014 - Jan 20 , 2015
The top 10 most viewed Section 508 Blog posts of 2014 on BuyAccessible.gov are:
What can the IT Solutions Navigator do for you? - Jan 08 , 2015
Do you need help with your market research for IT products and services? You can use the free IT Solutions Navigator tool from GSA.
Q: What is the IT Solutions Navigator tool?
A: The IT Solutions Navigator tool is a decision support system aimed to assist customers in evaluating GSA’s Integrated Technology Services (ITS) solution categories and identifying an appropriate acquisition vehicle to meet their business needs.
Announcing Release 5.6 of the BuyAccessible Wizard Tool and Quick Links!
The BuyAccessible Wizard tool and Quick Links have been updated!
Some new features include:
Section 508 Evaluation Factors Example - Jan 07 , 2015
Here is an example of how an agency has set up Section 508 evaluation factors and acceptance criteria for solicitations from Mark Urban, CDC Section 508 Coordinator.
When a detailed evaluation is needed, CDC sometimes uses a two-factor evaluation technique.
Factor 1: Pass/fail
Accessibility for Gov Communicators: Tactics and Techniques You Can Use Today to Keep Your Projects on the Right Side of Section 508 Rules - Dec 02 , 2014
Check out the archives for this CIO Council Accessibility Webinar about how to avoid getting your communications material rejected for not being compliant with Section 508. Both presentation materials and a recording are available.
Updated VARC - Nov 18 , 2014
The BuyAccessible.gov site is back up again and the Vendor Accessibility Resource Center (VARC) has been updated! We went through all the links in the VARC to see if they were still valid. Broken links were removed and the companies contacted requesting a new one. If you have any suggestions of links to add, please contact us.
Section 508 Best Practices Webinar: Section 508 and the HHS Section 508 Enterprise Lifecycle - Nov 17 , 2014
TIME: Thursday, November 20, 2014, 1:00 - 2:30 PM Eastern Time
Summary:
DigitalGov is hosting a free on-line webinar, "Optimizing Your Public-Sector Web Analytics Program" September 18, 2014 from 2-3pm.
The Web is by far the primary medium the public uses to interface with government agencies. For their part, government agencies now rely on data more than ever for all aspects of strategic decision-making. In this environment, Web analytics is poised to play an increasingly influential role in government. How can agencies prepare for this transition? What can they do now to optimize their Web analytics programs with the resources available to them?
Recently we received this question,
"We are interested in a buying a product and that product has a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT).
The VPAT shows that it is not 100% compliant. Can we craft the GPAT
for that product to mandate 508 even though it has a VPAT or do we look elsewhere for another product"
Our answer is:
What if I am buying from a reseller? - Aug 18 , 2014
If you are buying an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) product from the a reseller or distributor, most of the time they will tell you that they have no Section 508 information on the accessibility of that product and probably will not even know what Section 508 is. Remember, resellers are not responsible for Section 508 conformance of the products they sell. So, how do you get Section 508 conformance information to help you do your market research and make an informed decision? You will need to contact the equipment manufacturer directly for Section 508 information.