Information Technology Access Missouri Efforts Dr. Diane Cordry Golden Missouri Assistive Technology

IT Access History in Missouri 1993 – Assistive Technology Council established 1995 – Office of Information Technology established - Windows ’95 & Missouri action 1998 – Section 508 amended Missouri IT access legislation passed

RSMo Covered Entities State department or agency – each department, office, board, bureau, commission, or other unit of the executive, legislative or judicial branch of state government, including public four-year and two-year colleges and universities.

RSMo IT Access Required When developing, procuring, maintaining or using information technology, or when administering contracts or grants that include the procurement, development, or upgrading of information technology, each state department or agency shall ensure, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the department or agency, that the information technology allows employees, program participants and members of the general public access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access by individuals without disabilities.

RSMo Standards Adoption To assure accessibility, the assistive technology council and the office of information technology shall adopt accessibility standards to be used by each state department or agency in the procurement of information technology, and in the development and implementation of custom designed information technology systems, web sites and other emerging information technology systems.

RSMo Complaint Procedures To assure accessibility, the assistive technology council and the office of information technology shall establish complaint procedures to be used by an individual with a disability who alleges that a state department or agency fails to comply with the provisions of this section.

IT Access History in Missouri (post state law) 2000 – Priority on web and automated voice –Interim adoption of W3C guidelines for web –Audits of webs and 800 numbers –Web developer training and revisions to voice systems 2001 – Access Board 508 standards finalized 2002 – Adoption of state rules/policies

Standards Adoption Used 508 technical standards as base Software, web, telecomm, video & multimedia Adapted standards for captioning and audio description No self-contained or functional standards Contract language (vendor disclosure concept) application development RFP’s (services) commercial product purchase (unresolved issues) Complaint procedures

Unresolved Procurement Issues Application standard “lowest and best” (MO state purchasing law) and only mandatory or discretionary standards “compliance with access standards to the degree commercially available” Conformance verification Contract language (accepting non-conformance?) Technical/consumer use data review (resources?) Direct technical/consumer use assessment (resources?)

Conformance Verification Contract language – options considered All liability for conformance and fix to vendor Vendor provides product data or service assurance; if accepted, liability for conformance and fix remains with state Vendor disclosure of product non-conformance; vendor liable for conformance and fix of those not disclosed Technical Review/Assessment Procurement staff, testing lab, consumers, or combination Data review, direct product testing, or combination All require level of technical expertise not readily available...

Resource Information Missouri Proposed IT Access Standards: Missouri IT Access Statute: