AGENCY27-PURC-6553 ADA Title II Subpart H Web and Mobile Accessibility Compliance Training RFP~3.pdf

Rev. 3/2026- Services

Request for Proposal No. AGENCY27-PURC-

Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Subpart H, Web and Mobile Accessibility Compliance

Training

San Bernardino County Purchasing Department

777 E. Rialto Avenue San Bernardino, CA 92415

November 2026

Request for Proposal ADA Title II Compliance

No. AGENCY27-PURC-6553

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Purpose The San Bernardino County, Purchasing Department (County), is seeking Proposals from interested and qualified Proposers to provide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II Subpart H Compliance Training. The number of awards will be determined by the quality of the proposals received.

B. RFP Contact All correspondence, including Proposals and questions (not bid questions), must be submitted to the person identified below (RFP Contact):

San Bernardino County Purchasing Department Attn: Jason Cloninger, Lead Buyer III 777 E. Rialto Avenue San Bernardino, CA 92415-0760

(909) 387-0321 Phone

(909) 387-2666 Fax jason.cloninger@pur.sbcounty.gov Email

Fax number and e-mail address may only be used to submit questions (not bid questions). Proposals will not be accepted by email or facsimile. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the County Electronic Procurement Network (ePro), The completed and signed proposal must be received by the Deadline for Proposals specified in Section II – Proposal Timeline. All Proposers must register with the ePro system prior to the date and time to submit the proposal or they will be disqualified.

C. Reserved

D. Contract Term Services to be provided under this Request for Proposals (RFP) are outlined under Section V, Scope of Work. The Contract period will be for a maximum of 5 years beginning on approximately February 09, 2027, and ending on approximately February 08, 2029, with an option to extend for three additional one-year periods.

E. Reserved

F. Assistance to Proposers with a Disability Proposers with a disability may request accommodation regarding the means of communicating this RFP or participating in the procurement process. For more information, contact the RFP Contact no later than ten (10) days prior to the Deadline for Proposals.

II. PROPOSAL TIMELINE

Release of RFP November 13, 2026 Deadline for Submission of Questions 5:00 P.M. PST November 20, 2026 Deadline for Proposals 5:00 P.M. PST December 11, 2026 *If requested* Presentation/Demonstration January 5 & 7, 2027 Date for Tentative Contract Award February 2027

Questions regarding the contents of this RFP must be submitted in writing in ePro on or before the Deadline for Submission of Questions. All questions will be answered, and both the question and answer will be posted as an Addendum to the RFP in ePro.

mailto:jason.cloninger@pur.sbcounty.gov

Request for Proposal

III. DEFINITIONS

Capitalized terms used in this RFP shall have the meanings given to them in the RFP and as defined below:

ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title II (42 U.S.C. § 12131 et seq.).

Board: The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

Conforming Document: A “conforming document” is a remediated document that (a) passes automated accessibility checking with zero errors (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Checker and PAC – PDF Accessibility Checker, or equivalent tools appropriate to the file format); (b) passes manual assistive-technology testing for reading order, alternative text quality, table navigation, and form operability; and (c) conforms to all applicable WCAG 2.1 Level A and Level AA success criteria.

Contract: The Contract between the County and the Proposer resulting from the award issued pursuant to this RFP to the successful Proposer.

Contractor: Any individual, company, firm, corporation, partnership or other organization to whom a contract award is made by the County. The terms “Vendor” and “Contractor” may be used interchangeably throughout this RFP.

Document: A “document” means a discrete electronic file (e.g., PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file) published or intended for publication on a County website. Documents in scope average approximately

11.5 pages each, but individual documents may range from a single page to several hundred pages.

Document Accessibility Training: For purposes of this SOW, “training” means structured instruction — delivered live (in person or virtual), self-paced, or in blended formats — that develops the knowledge and applied skills required for County personnel to produce, evaluate, and remediate electronic documents conforming to WCAG 2.1 Level AA and, in addition to WCAG 2.1 Level AA for portable document format (PDF) documents, conformance with PDF/UA (ISO 14289-1). Training encompasses instruction on regulatory context, technical standards, authoring practices, remediation techniques, testing and validation, and County-specific operational workflows.

Document Remediation: The modification of an existing electronic document so that the document meets success criteria under ADA, Title II, Subpart H conforming to a minimum WCAG 2.1 Level AA success criteria. Remediation requires, at a minimum, that a document be made Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (the “POUR” principles, such that individuals with disabilities – including users of screen readers and other assistive technologies – can access the document’s content with substantially equivalent ease of use.

• Applying a correct, complete, and logical tag structure that reflects the document’s reading order and semantic structure (headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, and figures).

• Provide meaningful alternative text for all informative images, figures, charts, graphics, and marking decorative elements as artifacts.

• Ensuring a logical reading order and programmatically determinable structure.

• Tagging data tables with proper header cells, scope, and associations; remediating complex tables so row/column relationships are programmatically determinable.

• Creating accessible, fillable form fields with programmatic labels, tooltips, and logical tab order for any interactive forms.

Request for Proposal

• Applying Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to scanned or image-only documents so that all text is machine-readable and searchable.

• Ensuring sufficient color contrast and that color is not the sole means of conveying information .

• Setting document properties, including a descriptive document title, primary language, and language of parts where the language changes.

• Providing descriptive link text and functional, correctly tagged hyperlinks.

• Creating navigational aids such as bookmarks for lengthy documents.

• Ensuring the document does not contain content that flashes more than three times per second .

• Verifying conformance using both automated checkers and manual testing with assistive technology

(e.g., screen readers such as Job Access With Speech (JAWS) or Non-Visual Desktop Access

(NVDA).

Facilitator: A County Purchasing Department buyer or designated individual tasked with managing the processes of the evaluation panel.

Page: A “page’ means a single page of an electronic document as rendered (e.g., one page of a PDF file).

Proposers shall confirm their page-counting methodology in their proposals, including how oversized pages, spreadsheets, and non-paginated formats are counted for billing purposes.

Proposal: The offer to provide specific goods or services at specified prices and/or other conditions specified in the RFP.

Proposer: Any individual, company, firm, corporation, partnership, joint venture, or other organization that submits a Proposal in response to this RFP.

Purchasing Agent: The Director of the County Purchasing Department.

Request for Proposal (RFP): The request for an offer from Proposers interested in providing the identified services sought to be procured by the County. The RFP specifies the evaluation factors to be used and contains or incorporates by reference contractual terms and conditions applicable to the procurement.

Role-Based Training Tiers: Training shall be organized into role-appropriate tiers. The County anticipates, at minimum, the following audience tiers; Proposers may propose alternative or additional structures with justification:

• Tier 1 — Awareness: All-staff foundational training on ADA Title II, Subpart H obligations, accessibility concepts, and County policy. Suitable for general County personnel.

• Tier 2 — Content Creators: Staff who author documents in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe InDesign, and similar tools; focused on accessible authoring and pre-publication self-checks.

• Tier 3 — Remediation Practitioners: Designated department staff responsible for hands-on remediation in Adobe Acrobat Pro and related tools, including forms, tables, OCR, and validation.

• Tier 4 — Compliance Coordinators / Reviewers: Staff responsible for departmental QA, document classification, rejection/resubmission decisions, and workflow administration.

Rule H: Subpart H of ADA Title, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) regulations at Section 35.200 et seq.

Services: The requested services described in this RFP.

Request for Proposal

Session: A “session” means a single scheduled instructor-led training occurrence of defined duration for a defined roster of attendees. Proposers shall define in their proposals how sessions are counted and priced

Subcontractor: An individual, company, firm, corporation, partnership or other organization, not in the employment of or owned by Contractor who is performing services on behalf of Contractor under the Contract or under a separate contract with or on behalf of Contractor.

Title II: Title II of the ADA, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) regulations at 28 C.F.R.

Part 35.

WCAG 2.1: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1, Level AA as developed, endorsement and published by the World Wide Web Consortium.

IV. PROPOSAL CONDITIONS

A. Authorized Signatures

All proposals must be signed by an individual authorized to bind the Proposer to the provisions of the

RFP.

B. Term of Offer

Proposals shall remain open, valid and subject to acceptance anytime within nine (9) months after the Proposal submission.

C. Required Review Proposers should carefully review this RFP for defects and questionable or objectionable material.

Comments from Proposers concerning defects and objectionable material in this RFP must be made in writing and received by the RFP contact prior to the deadline for submission of questions identified in Section II or at least ten (10) calendar days before the Deadline for Proposals (whichever occurs last).

This will allow issuance of any necessary amendments or addendums to the RFP. It will also help prevent the opening of a defective RFP and exposure of Proposals upon which an award could not be made.

Protests based on any omission or error, or on the content of this RFP, may be disallowed if not submitted in writing to the attention of the RFP Contact, prior to the deadline for submission of questions identified in Section II or at least ten (10) calendar days before the Deadline for Proposals (whichever occurs last).

D. Incurred Costs

The County is not obligated to pay any costs incurred by Proposer in the preparation of a Proposal in response to this RFP. Proposers agree that all costs incurred in developing a Proposal are the Proposer’s responsibility.

E. Amendments/Addendums to RFP The County reserves the right to issue amendments or addendums to this RFP if the County considers that changes are necessary or additional information is needed.

Changes to a Proposal or withdrawal of a Proposal will only be allowed if a request is received prior to the Deadline for Proposals. No amendments or withdrawals will be accepted after the Deadline for Proposals.

F. Best Value Evaluation As established in this RFP, the County realizes that criteria other than price are important and will award contract(s) based on the Proposal that best meets the needs of the County. The County seeks the optimal combination of quality, price, and various qualitative elements of the required Services that will provide the County the greatest or best value for its money.

Request for Proposal

G. Right of Rejection

Offers must comply with all of the terms of the RFP, and all applicable local, state, and federal laws, codes, and regulations. The County may reject as non-responsive any Proposal that does not comply with all of the material and substantial terms, conditions, and performance requirements of the RFP.

Further, the County may reject a proposal from any entity that is a parent, affiliate, or subsidiary, or that is under common ownership, control, or management with any other entity submitting a Proposal in response to this RFP.

A Proposer may not qualify the Proposal nor restrict the rights of the County. If Proposer does so, the Proposal may be determined to be a non-responsive counter-offer and the Proposal may be rejected.

No Proposal shall be rejected, however, if it contains a minor irregularity, defect or variation. If the irregularity, defect or variation is considered by the County to be immaterial or inconsequential, the County may choose to accept the Proposal.

Minor irregularities may be waived by the Purchasing Agent when they are any of the following:

1. Do not affect responsiveness;

2. Are merely a matter of form or format;

3. Do not change the relative standing or otherwise prejudice other offers;

4. Do not change the meaning or scope of the RFP;

5. Are trivial, negligible, or immaterial in nature;

6. Do not reflect a material change in the work; or

7. Do not constitute a substantial reservation against a requirement or provision.

In such cases the Proposer will be notified of the deficiency in the Proposal and given an opportunity to correct the irregularity, defect or variation or the County may elect to waive the deficiency and accept the Proposal. The decision to provide a waiver shall in no way modify or compromise the overall purpose of the submittal, nor excuse the Proposer from compliance with all requirements if awarded a Contract.

This RFP does not commit the County to award a contract. The County reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals if it is in the best interest of the County to do so. The County also reserves the right to terminate this RFP process at any time.

H. Local Preference

San Bernardino County has adopted a Local Preference Policy. A local preference of five percent (5%) shall be applied in the cost evaluation of proposals or bids for goods, services, equipment, or a minor public work project, unless an exemption applies. In a price-based bid, five percent (5%) will be deducted from the local vendor’s proposed cost for the purpose of comparison when the local vendor’s proposed cost is not the lowest. If the local vendor’s bid is equal to or lower than the price of an otherwise successful non-local vendor after the 5% preference is applied, the local vendor will be given the opportunity to match the lowest quoted price. In a best value evaluation, five percent (5%) of the awardable points for cost will be added to the local vendor’s score. If the local vendor’s overall score is equal to or lower than that of an otherwise successful nonlocal vendor, the local vendor will be recommended for award.

“Due to the evaluation of qualitative elements along with cost in a best value evaluation, application of local preference for cost proposals may not result in award to a local vendor with the lowest cost after applying local preference.”

Local Vendor - A local vendor is any vendor, contractor or consultant (hereafter “vendor”) that meets all of the following requirements:

1. Vendor’s main office (headquarters) or a major regional office is located within the County;

2. Vendor employs a minimum of 25% of the vendor’s full-time management employees and 25%

Request for Proposal of its full-time regular employees working from the San Bernardino County location(s);

3. Vendor employs one full-time or two part-time employees with primary residence in the County;

4. Vendor’s “point of sale” for purposes of reporting sales tax to the State Board of Equalization is within the boundaries of the County. The payment of any local share of sales tax must go to the County or a city within the County. If the local business has more than one sales office in the State of California, the office located in the County shall be the point of sale for sales tax calculation;

5. Vendor is not delinquent in any taxes or other payments to the County;

6. Vendor possesses a valid and verifiable business license (if required);

7. Vendor has been open and established for at least six months prior to the issuance of the solicitation;

8. Vendor can demonstrate on-going business activity in the field of endeavor on which they are proposing from that office during the preceding six months;

9. Vendor has not within five years prior to the solicitation admitted guilt or been found guilty by any court or state or federal regulatory enforcement agency of violation of any criminal law or any law or regulation regarding fraud;

10. Vendor is not federally debarred; and

11. Vendor is not suspended or debarred from participation in doing business with the County, in the scope of work that is the subject of the solicitation.

12. Local Vendor Self-certification – Documentation provided

Local Vendor self-certification form is required for any bid or proposal when a local preference is claimed affirming that it meets each of the above stated criteria, and signed by a vendor representative with the authority to obligate the company under penalty of perjury. (See Attachment)

I. Clarification of Offers In order to determine if a Proposal is reasonably susceptible for award, communications by the Facilitator for the evaluation panel are permitted with a Proposer to clarify uncertainties or eliminate confusion concerning the contents of a Proposal. Clarifications may not result in a material or substantive change to the Proposal. The evaluation by the panel may be adjusted as a result of a clarification under this section.

J. Public Records Act All Proposals and other material submitted become the property of the County and are subject to release according to the California Public Records Act (Government Code § 7920.000). All Proposal information, including cost information, will be held in confidence during the evaluation and negotiation process.

Thereafter, Proposals are subject to becoming a non-exempt public record.

If a Proposer believes that any portion of its Proposal is exempt from public disclosure, it must indicate the specific portions believed to be confidential and not subject to disclosure on Attachment I - Public Records Act Exemptions. The Proposer also must include a brief description that sets out the reasons for exemption from disclosure. Each stated exemption must include a citation to supporting legal authority, including statutory authority or case law, to support exemption from the Public Records Act. Requested exemptions that do not meet the requirements of this section will not be considered.

The County will use reasonable means to ensure that such information is safeguarded, but will not be held liable for inadvertent disclosure of the information. Proposals marked “Confidential” in their entirety will not be honored, and the County might not deny public disclosure of any portion of Proposals so marked.

By submitting a Proposal with portions identified in Attachment I as “Confidential,” Proposer represents that it has a good faith belief that such portions are exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act. Proposer may be requested to obtain legal protection from disclosure should a Public Records Act

Request for Proposal request be received. In the event the County does not disclose the information marked “Confidential,” Proposer agrees to reimburse the County for, and to indemnify, defend (with counsel approved by County) and hold harmless the County, its officers, employees, agents, and volunteers from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, suits, judgments, fines, penalties, costs and expenses, including without limitation, attorneys’ fees, expenses and court costs of any nature arising from or relating to the County’s non-disclosure of any such designated portions of a Proposal.

K. Employment of Former County Officials Information must be provided in Attachment G regarding former County Administrative Officials (as defined below) who are employed by or represent Proposer. The information provided must include a list of former County Administrative Officials who terminated County employment within the last five years and who are now officers, principals, partners, associates or members of Proposer and should also include the employment and/or representative capacity and the dates these individuals began employment with or representation of Proposer. For purposes of this section, “County Administrative Official” is defined as a member of the Board of Supervisors or such member’s staff, Chief Executive Officer or member of such officer’s staff, County department or group head, assistant department or group head, or any employee in the Exempt Group, Management Unit or Safety Management Unit.

Failure to provide this information may result in the Proposal being deemed non-responsive.

L. Reserved

M. Disclosure of Criminal and Civil Proceedings The County reserves the right to request the information described herein from the Proposer selected for Contract award. Failure to provide the information may result in a disqualification from the selection process and no award of Contract to the Proposer. The County also reserves the right to obtain the requested information by way of a background check performed by an investigative firm. The selected Proposer may also be asked to provide information to clarify initial responses. Negative information provided or discovered may result in disqualification from the selection process and no award of Contract.

The selected Proposer may be asked whether the firm, or any of its partners, principals, members, associates or key employees (as that term is defined herein), within the last ten years, has been indicted on or had charges brought against it or them (if still pending) or convicted of any crime or offense arising directly or indirectly from the conduct of the firm’s business, or whether the firm, or any of it partners, principals, members, associates or key employees, has within the last ten years, been indicted on or had charges brought against it or them (if still pending) or convicted of any crime or offense involving financial misconduct or fraud. If the response is affirmative, the Proposer will be asked to describe any such indictments or charges (and the status thereof), convictions and the surrounding circumstances in detail.

In addition, the selected Proposer may also be asked to disclose whether the firm, or any of its partners, principals, members, associates or key employees, within the last ten years, has been the subject of legal proceedings as defined herein arising directly from the provision of services by the firm or those individuals. “Legal proceedings” means any civil actions filed in a court of competent jurisdiction, or any matters filed by an administrative or regulatory body with jurisdiction over the firm or the individuals. If the response is affirmative, the Proposer will be asked to describe any such legal proceedings (and the status and disposition thereof) and the surrounding circumstances in detail.

For purposes of this provision “key employees” includes any individuals providing direct service to the County. “Key employees” do not include clerical personnel providing service at the firm’s offices or locations.

N. Debarment and Suspension; California Secretary of State Business Entity Registration.

Request for Proposal

Proposer certifies in Attachment D that neither it nor its principals or subcontractors are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal department or agency. (See Attachment D and the following United States General Services Administration’s System for Award Management website https://www.sam.gov). Proposer also certifies in Attachment D that if it or any of the subcontractors listed in the Proposal are business entities that must be registered with the California Secretary of State, they are registered and in good standing with the Secretary of State.

O. Unsatisfactory Performance Proposer affirms that it has no record of unsatisfactory performance with the County in the twenty-four

(24) month period immediately preceding the date of issuance of this RFP.

P. Final Authority The final authority to award a contract(s) as a result of this RFP rests solely with the County Board of Supervisors, or as delegated by the Board of Supervisors.

V. SCOPE OF WORK

A. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

San Bernardino County is geographically the largest County in the continental United States, covering 20,106 Square Miles. The County boarders Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange counties and the States of Arizona and Nevada, with the northern end in the Mojave Desert.

The County is seeking proposals from qualified Proposers to provide comprehensive digital document accessibility training to County personnel. The services described in this Scope of Work (“SOW”) support the County's compliance with Rule H, which adopts WCAG 2.1 as the technical standard for state and local government websites and mobile apps through which they provide services, programs, and activities.

On April 24, 2024, the DOJ published a final Rule H establishing WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the enforceable technical standard for the web content and mobile applications of state and local government entities. On April 20, 2026, the DOJ published an interim final Rule H extending the compliance date for public entities with a total population of 50,000 or more from April 24, 2026, to April 26, 2027. San Bernardino County is subject to the April 26, 2027 compliance date. Notwithstanding the extension, the County’s general nondiscrimination and effective-communication obligations under Title II remain in effect, and the County intends to implement staff training without delay.

The County is concurrently remediating a substantial legacy backlog of non-conforming electronic documents through contracted remediation services. Sustainable compliance, however, requires that County personnel be equipped to produce accessible documents at the point of creation, to identify and correct accessibility defects before publication, and to operate the County's compliance workflows. This RFP seeks proposals for the provision of the training services necessary to build and sustain that capability across all County departments, with the intent to directly reduce the County's ongoing compliance costs.

County departments publish documents to the public via County-managed WordPress websites and related web properties. This SOW covers both (a) the required content for training and (b) certification and assessment of training delivered to the County.

B. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

https://www.sam.gov/

Request for Proposal

The purpose of this SOW is to provide vendor-delivered training services that will:

• Equip County staff to create, review, and remediate electronic documents in conformance with WCAG 2.1 and PDF/UA (ISO 14289-1) requirements.

• Provide role-appropriate instruction spanning foundational awareness through advanced hands-on remediation.

• Support department-level compliance workflows, including pre-publication validation, document classification, and remediation routing through County systems.

• Reduce the County's future reliance on external remediation services by improving document accessibility at the point of creation.

• Provide the County with curriculum, materials, completion records, and post-training support sufficient to sustain and demonstrate an ongoing compliance training program.

• Specify license rights needed to allow the County to reproduce, adapt, redistribute, and internally reuse training materials, including for train-the-trainer programs.

• Maintain currency of training content with Rule H updates, WCAG revisions, and changes in applicable accessibility standards for the duration of the contract.

Exclusions. At this time, web (HTML) accessibility and digital application remediation and review services are outside the scope of this initiative.

Regulatory Framework and Applicable Standards Training content shall accurately reflect, and instruct to, the following authorities and standards, as amended:

• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title II (42 U.S.C. § 12131 et seq.).

• DOJ Title II regulations, 28 C.F.R. Part 35, including Subpart H (Web and Mobile Accessibility), adopting WCAG 2.1 Level AA; County compliance date of April 26, 2027 per the DOJ Interim Final Rule published April 20, 2026 (91 Fed. Reg. 20902), including the rule's content exceptions (e.g., archived web content and pre-existing conventional electronic documents).

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA (World Wide Web Consortium Recommendation, June 5, 2018), including the POUR framework.

• PDF/UA (ISO 14289-1) for PDF documents, where applicable.

• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d) and the Revised 508 Standards (36

C.F.R. Part 1194), as a reference framework.

• California Government Code §§ 7405 and 11135 accessibility obligations applicable to

California public entities.

The Vendor shall maintain curriculum currency with changes to the foregoing authorities for the duration of the contract term, including any DOJ amendments arising from the Interim Final Rule comment process.

1. Scope of Training Services — Required Content The Vendor shall provide comprehensive digital document accessibility training to County personnel sufficient to equip staff to create, review, and remediate electronic documents to the County's required

Request for Proposal accessibility standards and to support department-level compliance workflows. Training delivered under the resulting contract shall include, at minimum, the content areas in Sections 1.1 through 1.4. Proposers shall map their proposed curriculum to each requirement below and identify the Role-Based Training Tier(s) defined in Section III. Definitions, above, in which each topic is taught.

1.1 Foundational Standards and Compliance

• ADA Title II regulatory requirements and applicable DOJ rules, including the April 26, 2027 compliance date and the scope and limits of the DOJ rule's content exceptions.

• WCAG 2.1 Level AA success criteria and the POUR (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust) framework.

• PDF/UA (ISO 14289-1) technical requirements, where applicable.

• California Government Code §§ 7405 and 11135 accessibility obligations.

1.2 Accessible Document Analysis and Remediation

• Document metadata, language tagging, and descriptive titles.

• Proper use of headings, lists, tables, styles, and semantic structure.

• Accessible hyperlink practices and navigation/bookmarking standards.

• Font embedding (Adobe Acrobat Pro).

• Image requirements, including alternative text guidelines and identification of decorative content.

• Color contrast requirements and non-color-dependent communication.

1.3 Accessible Forms and Complex Content

• Creation and remediation of accessible form fields, tooltips, and tab order.

• OCR and remediation of scanned or image-only documents.

• Requirements for complex tables and multi-language documents.

1.4 Testing and Quality Assurance

• Use of automated tools such as Adobe Accessibility Checker, PAC (PDF Accessibility

Checker), and CommonLook (or equivalent), individually or in combination.

• Manual testing using screen-reader software (JAWS, NVDA, or equivalent).

• Interpretation of pass/fail criteria, remediation of flagged issues, and validation steps.

• Document rejection procedures, including preparation of detailed instructions for the originating department to revise and resubmit (e.g., contrast failures).

2. County Operational Requirements

In addition to the standards-based content in Section 1, training shall include instruction on County-specific practices. The County will provide the Vendor with access to relevant County policies, workflow documentation, and tool environments during curriculum development. County-specific instruction shall include:

Request for Proposal

• Procedures for pre-publication accessibility validation of source documents (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe InDesign, and similar authoring tools).

• Requirements for classifying documents as active, archival, or exempt, consistent with Rule H.

• Routing workflows for remediation requests through the County's ServiceNow intake process.

• Understanding and use of County tools (e.g., DocAccess) where appropriate.

Curriculum Customization. Proposers shall describe their process, timeline, and any additional cost for incorporating County-specific workflows, tools, branding, and sample documents into the curriculum, and for updating that content when County processes change during the contract term.

03. Trainer Qualifications

Contractor personnel delivering training shall:

• Possess recognized accessibility certifications (e.g., IAAP CPACC, WAS, CPWA, or ADS).

• Have demonstrable experience with, and mastery of, WCAG-aligned document accessibility remediation.

• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of known issues and workarounds for flagged errors and application shortcomings (e.g., authoring-tool and checker limitations).

Proposals shall include the names, certifications, and relevant experience of all proposed trainers; identify a lead trainer/curriculum owner; and describe the Proposer’s approach to trainer continuity and substitution. The County reserves the right to approve or reject proposed trainers and any substitutions.

4. Training Delivery Requirements

Proposals must clearly and completely describe the Proposer’s training delivery model. At a minimum, the Proposal shall address each of the following:

4.1 Structure, Complexity, and Duration

• The complexity level of each proposed module or course, mapped to the Role-Based Training

Tiers defined in Section III. Definitions, above, including prerequisites and recommended sequencing.

• The duration of each module or course (hours), and the total instructional hours per tier from introductory through advanced completion.

• The number of sessions proposed to deliver each module, and the total number of sessions proposed for countywide rollout.

• Whether hands-on practical exercises are included, the software attendees must have access to during hands-on segments (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Pro), and who supplies practice files.

• For self-paced modules, Proposers must confirm that content can be exported in Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM)/xAPI format and may be hosted within the County’s Learning Management System (“LMS”) for ongoing reuse, including new-hire training and refresher cycles.

4.2 Delivery Modality and Venue

• Identify whether each module is delivered in person, online (live virtual), self-paced, or hybrid, and which modalities are available for each module.

Request for Proposal

• For in-person delivery, identify the venue in which training will be hosted — whether the Vendor will provide a training facility or requires County-provided facilities — and any facility, equipment, or network requirements (e.g., workstations, software licenses, projection, internet access). County facilities are located within San Bernardino County; Proposers shall state any geographic or travel constraints and whether travel costs are included in pricing.

• For virtual delivery, identify the platform used (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom), whether the Vendor or the County hosts, and how hands-on exercises are supported remotely. Self-paced modules must be provided in SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, or xAPI format for hosting in the County’s LMS. Proposer must specify:

supported formats (SCORM 1.2 / SCORM 2004 / xAPI), license term, user limits, LMS integration requirements, whether content may also be hosted on the Vendor’s LMS.

• Whether live sessions may be recorded, and the County's rights to retain and internally reuse recordings.

4.3 Attendance and Scheduling

• Attendance limitations: minimum and maximum attendees per session, by modality, and any pricing impact of session size.

• Scheduling lead time, cancellation and rescheduling policies, and any associated fees.

• The Vendor's capacity to deliver concurrent sessions and the proposed rollout schedule to reach all County departments in advance of the April 26, 2027 compliance date.

• Availability of recurring/refresher sessions for new hires and for staff requiring reinforcement during the contract term.

4.4 Materials and Post-Training Support

• All necessary guides, documentation, quick-reference aids, sample files, and exercises shall be supplied with the training. Proposers shall state whether the cost of training materials is absorbed by the Vendor or billed to the County, and identify any per-attendee material costs.

• All training materials, including virtual platforms, self-paced modules, and documents distributed to attendees, must themselves conform to WCAG 2.1, and reasonable accommodations shall be supported for attendees with disabilities.

• License terms for materials: whether the County may reproduce, adapt, and internally redistribute materials, including for internal train-the-trainer use, during and after the contract term.

• Post-training support: Q&A sessions, follow-up office hours, help desk/email support, or equivalent, including duration and any limits.

4.5 Certification and Assessment

• Whether training provides attendees with a certification, credential, badge, or certificate of completion; the issuing body; whether any credential is industry-recognized (e.g., aligned to

Request for Proposal

IAAP continuing education) or Vendor-issued; validity period; and any renewal requirements or costs.

• How attendee learning is assessed (e.g., knowledge checks, practical remediation exercises, scored assessments), the passing standard, and the process for attendees who do not pass.

5. Documentation and Reporting Requirements

The Contractor shall furnish, at minimum:

• Training agendas, curriculum, and learning objectives for each module, provided for County review and approval prior to first delivery.

• Completion records or certificates for County personnel, including attendance rosters and assessment results, delivered in a format importable to County systems (e.g., CSV).

• Updated materials aligned with changes in standards or County requirements for the duration of the contract term.

• Session-level evaluations/attendee feedback summaries and periodic program reporting (sessions delivered, attendance, completion and pass rates, feedback themes, and recommended curriculum adjustments).

6. Pricing Requirements

Proposers shall submit pricing in the structure below. All pricing shall be firm-fixed for the initial contract term. The County does not guarantee any minimum number of sessions or attendees.

• Price per instructor-led session, by module and modality (in person vs. live virtual), stating the attendee capacity included in the session price.

• Per-attendee pricing, if offered as an alternative or supplement to per-session pricing, including any volume discounts or price breaks at defined attendee or session thresholds.

• Pricing for self-paced module licensing: per-user, per-department, or enterprise/countywide license options, and license duration.

• Whether training materials costs are absorbed by the Vendor or billed to the County, and any per-attendee materials charges.

• One-time costs: curriculum customization for County workflows and tools (Section 6), LMS integration/SCORM packaging, and program setup.

• Travel and per diem treatment for in-person delivery within San Bernardino County (the County's preference is all-inclusive session pricing with no separately billed travel).

• Pricing for post-training support beyond any included allowance (office hours, help desk), and for refresher/new-hire sessions.

• Cancellation/rescheduling fee schedule.

6.1 Pricing Evaluation Scenario

For evaluation purposes, Proposers shall complete a total-cost scenario consisting of: (a) Countywide Tier 1 awareness training for approximately 1,000 staff via self-paced or virtual delivery; (b) Tier 2 content-creator training for approximately 300 staff via instructor-led sessions; (c) Tier 3 remediation-practitioner

Request for Proposal training for approximately 75 staff via hands-on instructor-led sessions; (d) Tier 4 coordinator training for approximately 40 staff; and (e) twelve months of post-training support and quarterly refresher sessions.

Attendee counts are estimates for evaluation only and do not constitute a commitment. Proposers shall show all assumptions.

VI. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

A. General

1. All interested and qualified Proposers are invited to submit a Proposal for consideration. Submission of a Proposal indicates that the Proposer has read and understands the entire RFP, including all appendixes, attachments, exhibits, schedules, and addenda (as applicable) and that all concerns regarding the RFP have been resolved.

2. Proposals must be received by the designated date and time. All Proposers must register with the ePro system prior to the date and time to receive the proposal or they will be disqualified.

Late or incomplete proposals will not be accepted. Electronic response must be submitted through the San Bernardino County Electronic Procurement Network (ePro) https://epro.sbcounty.gov/bso/view/login/login.xhtml. System-related issues in ePro shall be directed to the Purchasing Department at (909) 387-2060. For procurement questions involving ePro, please contact the RFP Contact identified in Section I, Paragraph B - RFP Contact.

3. The Proposer acknowledges that its electronic signature is legally binding. Submittals in ePro will be opened from the system’s encrypted lock box after the deadline and evaluated as stated in this RFP.

4. Reserved

5. Proposals must be submitted in the format described below. Proposals are to be prepared in such a way as to provide a straightforward, concise description of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP.

6. Proposals must be completed in all respects as required in this section. A Proposal may not be considered if it is conditional or incomplete.

B. Proposal Format Responses to this RFP must be in the form of a Proposal package, which must be submitted in the following format:

1. Presentation

Format the Proposal to fit on an 8-½ v 11 sheet of paper with margins of at least ¾ inches. Text should be single spaced and font size should be no smaller than 11 point. Each page, including attachments, must be clearly and consecutively numbered.

2. Cover Page Use Attachment A as the cover page.

This form must be fully completed and signed by an authorized officer of the Proposer.

3. Table of Contents All pages of the Proposal, including the enclosures, must be clearly and consecutively numbered and correspond to the Table of Contents.

4. Statement of Certification https://epro.sbcounty.gov/bso/view/login/login.xhtml

Request for Proposal

Include the following on Attachment B:

a. A statement that the offer made in the Proposal is firm and binding for nine (9) months from the

Deadline for Proposals.

b. A statement that all aspects of the Proposal, including cost, have been determined independently, without consultation with any other Proposer (competitor) for the purpose of restricting competition.

c. A statement that all declarations in the Proposal and attachments are true and that this shall constitute a warranty, the falsity of which will entitle the County to pursue any remedy by law.

d. A statement that the Proposer agrees that all aspects of the RFP and the Proposal submitted shall be binding if the Proposal is selected and a Contract awarded.

e. A statement that the Proposer agrees to provide the County with any other information the County determines is necessary for an accurate determination of the Proposer’s ability to perform the Services as proposed.

f. A statement that the Proposer, if selected will comply with all applicable rules, laws and regulations.

g. A statement that the Proposer has reviewed the RFP and General Contract Terms in their entirety and have no exceptions to any requirements, terms or conditions, except as noted in Attachment H.

5. Statement of Experience and Qualifications

Include the following in this section of the Proposal:

a. Business name of the Proposer and type of legal entity such as corporation, partnership, etc. If

Proposer is a business entity that must be registered with the California Secretary of State, Proposer shall provide the County the entity number assigned to it by the Secretary of State.

b. Number of years the Proposer has been in business under the present business name, as well as related prior business names.

c. Statement that the Proposer does not have any commitments or potential commitments that may impact the Proposer’s ability to perform the Contract, if awarded.

6. Licenses, Permits, and/or Certifications

Provide copies of all licenses, permits and/or certifications in Attachment C as required under Section X. TERMS AND CONDITIONS Paragraph A, 22.

7. Financials Provide Proposer’s Annual Report for the previous two years. Proposer must also include independently audited financial statements for the most recent completed fiscal year. If audited financial statements are not available, please provide un-audited financial statements along with a certification from the Proposer’s accountant that the information accurately reflects the Proposer’s current financial status. If the Proposer is a sole proprietorship, please provide Schedule C of the Internal Revenue Service forms as well as a certification from the owner and the accountant that the information accurately reflects the Proposer’s current financial status.

8. Project Team Organization Chart Provide an organization chart illustrating the project team, and clearly show the organization of the team and the hierarchy of the members. It must include:

a. Organizational framework for the proposed project team.

b. Company name and staff name for each role identified in the chart.

c. Resumes of key personnel, including qualifications, education and project experience

9. Proposal Description The Proposal should include the following:

Request for Proposal

a. A brief synopsis of the Proposer’s understanding of the County’s needs and how the Proposer plans to meet them.

b. A detailed statement of the proposed Services, including a Training Plan as outlined in the SOW.

c. An explanation of any assumptions or constraints.

10. Work Plan and Schedule

Include the following:

a. Summary of management/work plan for this Project.

b. Project schedule

11. Certification Regarding Debarment or Suspension

Complete Attachment D

12. Cost Complete proposed pricing on Attachment E.

13. References Provide three (3) references from other entities, preferably public agencies, of same or similar size as the County, with whom you have established a contract on a project of this nature within the past three years. Provide Contact Name, Address, Phone Number, email, and dates Services were provided on Attachment F.

14. Former County Officials Complete Attachment G

15. Exceptions to RFP Complete Attachment H.

16. Public Records Act Exemptions Complete Attachment I – Public Records Act Exemptions if applicable.

17. Indemnification and Insurance Requirements Affidavit

Submit evidence of ability to insure as stated in Section X, Paragraph B – Indemnification and Insurance Requirements. Proposer must complete and submit Attachment J – Indemnification and Insurance Requirements Affidavit, and ensure the form is complete, including the signature from Proposer’s insurance broker/agent.

18. Clarifying Questions Complete Attachment L.

VII. EVALUATION

Proposals will be subject to an Initial Review to confirm responsiveness, by determining whether each Proposal includes the stipulated content, required certifications or licensing, etc., and is presented in the required format, in order for the Proposal to advance for evaluation. Any reasonable person reviewing for responsiveness must be able to ascertain that the Proposal meets these requirements.

The evaluation process includes the following categories, and may include additional specific criteria.

Likewise, the listed considerations are possible considerations, and may not be the only factors involved in the evaluation.

Request for Proposal

A. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Weight: 40% Certifications, accessibility remediation expertise, subject-matter depth, lead trainer strength, and trainer continuity/substitution and staffing plan. Quality of the training structure, tiering, duration, modality, hands-on exercises, and County—specific workflow customization (e.g. ServiceNow, DocAccess, pre-publication validation).

Considerations:

• Recognized accessibility certifications.

• Direct remediation experience.

• Deep knowledge of checker limitations and workarounds.

• Credible lead-trainer/backup structure, staffing model and staffing availability.

• Well-structured tiered curriculum, practical exercises, flexible modality options, prepublication validation, document classification, ServiceNow routing, and DocAccess.

B. TECHNICAL REVIEW

Weight: 40% How well the proposed training maps to ADA Title II, WCAG 2.1 Level AA, PDF/UA, Section 508, and California requirements; whether it covers the required content areas. Training includes practical exercises, knowledge checks, remediation practice, and a credible method for verifying attendee learning.

Considerations:

• Clearly maps curriculum to each required subject area, including foundational standards, accessible document analysis, forms/complex content, and testing/quality assurance…