STATEMENT OF WORK

UNITED STATES ACCESS BOARD (USAB)

ACCESSIBILITY AND SECTION 508 WEBINARS

1. INTRODUCTION

The United States Access Board (USAB) is an independent federal agency that advances accessibility through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards. Created in 1973 to ensure access to federally funded facilities, the USAB is a leading source of information on accessible design. USAB develops and maintains design criteria for the built environment, transit vehicles, public right-of-way, information and communication technology, and medical diagnostic equipment under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and other laws. It also provides technical assistance and training on these requirements and continues to enforce accessibility standards that apply to federally funded facilities under the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA).

USAB is structured to function as a coordinating body among federal agencies and directly represent the public, particularly people with disabilities. Its governing board is comprised of twenty-five (25) members. Twelve (12) of the governing board members are representatives from most of the federal departments. The thirteen (13) others, who are appointed by the President, are members of the public, most of whom have a disability. Additionally, USAB employs approximately thirty (30) staff across five (5) units: Office of Executive Director, Office of Administration, Office of General Counsel, Office of Technical and Information Services, and the Office of Information Technology.

2. BACKGROUND

The USAB is charged with providing training and technical assistance on accessibility guidelines for buildings and facilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), and Information Communications Technology (ICT) under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. USAB manages an ongoing annual training program.

These programs are presented both in person and virtually at conferences and meetings sponsored by professional associations and other organizations/business groups, as well as by numerous federal agencies.

Web-based programs assist USAB in improving cost efficiencies by reducing expenses, increasing productivity, and expanding services to a greater number of Americans in fulfilling its mandate to provide technical assistance and training. Those in need of training on the guidelines may have limited opportunities to travel to participate in conferences and meetings that focus on the guidelines. Participation in a webinar is a more viable option for individuals and businesses with limited time, money, and transportation options.

3. SCOPE OF WORK

In conjunction with the USAB, the Contractor shall provide training program support to include approximately 16 webinars per year. Unless otherwise notified by the Board’s technical contact (the Training Coordinator), the following is the annual schedule:

• Ten (10) monthly ADA/ABA sessions are held the first Thursday of each of the following months: February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October, November, and December. The sessions are held from 2:30pm to 4:00 pm ET (with thirty minutes of preparation prior to each session).

• Six (6) Section 508 webinar sessions are held on the fourth Tuesday from 1:00pm to 2:30pm ET (with thirty minutes of preparation prior to each session) in the months of January, March, May, July, September, and November, unless otherwise notified by technical contact.

Each webinar shall be approximately 90 minutes in length. Monthly sessions average 500- 650 participants, although some session registration numbers may exceed 1,000 participants which may necessitate a live stream to YouTube.

• USAB will:

o Provide the topics, presenters, and content for each webinar o Identify at least eight (8) ADA/ABA archived webinars to be made available as self-paced sessions with the opportunity to secure Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

• The Contractor shall:

o Provide hardware, software, and associated webinar costs, including, but not limited to:

Servers and/or computers, Webinar software Internet and connectivity application(s), along with the costs associated with the production, hosting, implementation, and evaluation of approximately 16 annual webinars.

o Ensure each webinar is archived and made available for viewing on a webpage that is clearly branded as USAB property and conformant with Section 508 and WCAG 2.2 Level AA.

o Promote the webinars, and manage the registration of participants o Manage the CEU process and coordination of issuing certificates to participants.

OWNERSHIP/PROPRIETARY All webinar content and related materials that are developed are the property of the USAB/Federal Government. USAB will retain ownership of all materials created during this award.

3.1. PROJECT TASKS

The Contractor shall:

• Identify and use an accessible webinar platform complying with Section 508 to conduct approximately 16 webinars annually, to include:

o One (1) ADA/ABA webinar for the months of February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October, November, and December, unless otherwise notified by technical contact.

o One (1) Section 508 webinar in the months of January, March, May, July, September, and November, unless otherwise notified by technical contact.

• Provide information and recommendations on the most recent accessibility methods to accommodate both presenters and session participants with disabilities.

• Continuously monitor options for increasing the integration of accessibility in new and developing technologies to ensure that the system used provides the maximum level of accessibility available.

• Provide technical support and facilitate the web-based webinar software to USAB and webinar participants.

• Administer and maintain a website with a unique URL that clearly and prominently brands the webinars as produced by the USAB, including the agency logo. All features and functions of the website shall conform to Section 508 and WCAG 2.2 Level AA.

• Ensure the website includes the following information:

o Registration process for participants.

o Webinar topics, dates and times (schedules).

o Speaker names, bios, etc.

o Information for participants about available certificates and continuing education credits and the process to obtain them.

o Posting of the post-webinar quiz provided by USAB, required to secure CEUs.

o Host archived sessions (approximately 140 webinars) and related handouts.

o Host at least eight (8) pre-recorded ADA/ABA self-paced webinars available for

CEUs including all related tasks, such as verifying and providing participant certifications and/or participant attendance certificates.

o Providing space for webinar registrants to submit questions in advance of the webinars.

• Email attendance reminders to registrants and deadlines for submitting pre-webinar questions.

• Administer post-webinar evaluations and provide the results to the USAB Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and the Training Coordinator within fifteen (15) working days of the webinar.

• Administer other critical session information as requested.

• Maintain an existing database of past and present participants for internal use only. The participant data will be used to promote upcoming webinar sessions and to remind participants about submitting questions in advance of upcoming webinars.

• Provide helpdesk and technical assistance for registrants that are having difficulty in any portion of the process including registering, signing up for notices, along with any connection issues during the live webinar presentations.

• Respond to inquiries by sharing helpful tips and FAQs on webinar connectivity with registrants.

• Provide technical assistance for the USAB, and its presenters as needed for both webinar platform functionality and accessibility related features and other inquiries.

• Provide at least 30 minutes of preparation and/or assistance, as needed, prior to each of the webinar sessions.

• Provide all CEU credentials and attendance certificates to webinar session participants.

• Provide a teleconference call option for registrants to participate in an audio-only format.

This option may include a toll for participants.

• Provide live closed captioning during all sixteen annual webinar sessions. Captioning shall be provided on the same screen as the webinar platform and within YouTube when it is deployed to reach a higher number of participants.

• Provide option of YouTube live streaming access for webinars when standard registration is at or over capacity.

• Utilize a webinar platform that is Section 508 conformant and accessible to users of assistive technology. The Contractor shall provide an Accessibility Conformance Report developed from ITIC VPAT 2.5 (or subsequent version). ITIC VPAT is available from:

https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat

• Provide webinar archive playback and associated materials that conform to Section 508 and WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Post-production captioning shall correct errors introduced by live transcription.

• Ensure that all webinars include a live streaming video feed of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters which shall be integrated into the webinar presentation. The streaming video feed of the interpreters will appear in a scalable, adjustable window when an end user logs into the live webinar website.

• Ensure that the archived videos also include the interpreter in a scalable, adjustable window. The USAB secures and funds the ASL interpreter separate from this contract’s requirements.

• Work with the USAB to develop, maintain, and administer digital evaluations, including questions, and calculation of results.

• Compile the results of each session evaluation, including participation numbers and submit them to the USAB Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and the Training Coordinator within fifteen (15) working days of the webinar.

• Offer CEU credits for all live ADA/ABA webinar sessions and at least eight pre-recorded ADA/ABA webinar sessions selected by the Board for CEU’s. This includes completing and funding all fees required by credentialing organizations. Criteria required of session participants such as verification of time in session and the completion of a competency test shall be made available on the webinar website.

The USAB shall:

• Identify, secure and develop webinar topics, speakers, and presentation slides. and will deliver the information to the Contractor, at least five (5) working days prior to the scheduled program to ensure that materials may be reviewed for accessibility when converted for viewing in the webinar platform.

• Provide the Contractor with supporting documentation needed to satisfy requirements of CEU credentialing body(s) in advance of each session (e.g., learning objectives, speaker CV, outline of presentation).

3.2. DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall:

• Host and assist in the delivery of the USAB 16 annual webinars on agreed-upon dates:

o ADA/ABA Webinars: Ten per year, first Thursday of the month (2:30 pm-4:00 pm

ET) for the months of February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October, November, and December, unless otherwise notified by technical contact.

https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat o Section 508 Webinars: Six per year, last Tuesday of the month (1:00 pm-2:30 pm ET) for the months of January, March, May, July, September, and November, unless otherwise notified by technical contact.

• Provide registration support for all webinar session participants including the coordination of CEU’s for the ADA/ABA webinar series.

• Archive each webinar session and make available to the public. Archived webinar sessions include the import and transfer of all USAB existing archived webinars to the Contractor webinar host site. Archival playback is to be as accessible as the live session.

• Maintain archived sessions and database of registrants for transmission to government client at completion of contract period.

• Collect feedback and evaluations on each session, including numbers of session participants, responses to post webinar evaluation questionnaires, and transmit electronically the information to the Board no later than fifteen (15) calendar days after completion of each webinar session; and

• Provide technical support in the preparation of webinars to the USAB in practice sessions for up to one hour prior to each of the webinar sessions. All work products are the property of the U.S. Access Board and the Federal Government.

• Provide option of YouTube live streaming access to webinars when registration is at capacity.

4. CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS

• Hold (upon award) and maintain accreditation by all the following credentialing groups:

o AIA (American Institute of Architects) o AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners) o CRCC (Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification) o LA CES (American Society of Landscape Architects)

• Demonstrated experience in providing webinars that have successfully included persons with disabilities, particularly those with vision and hearing disabilities; administering and maintaining an accessible website for the implementation of the webinar programs and securing and administering a program for participants to receive continuing education units from various professional credentialing groups.

• Demonstrated experience working with webinar speakers and guest webinar speakers who have visual, hearing, speech, or mobility disabilities. These speakers and presenters use assistive technology that includes but is not limited to Jaws, Window Eyes, and ZoomText.

• Demonstrated experience providing help desk and technical assistance for registrants who have visual, hearing, speech, and mobility disabilities and who use assistive technology, including, but not limited to Jaws, Window Eyes, and ZoomText.

• Demonstrated experience incorporating a live streaming video feed of American Sign Language interpreters (ASL) that is integrated and compatible and located within the original real time webinar presentation. The streaming video feed of ASL interpreters must appear in a scalable, adjustable window that allows participants flexibility to modify the size and location of the interpreter. Additionally, the Contractor must demonstrate the capability to provide archived webinars participants with access to the ASL video via a scalable, adjustable window.

• Demonstrated experience testing and recording sessions to verify sound quality so that individuals who are hard of hearing have clear sound for the webinar information.

5. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Work shall be performed at the USAB offices at:

1331 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004

Due to constraints on physical space at the United States Access Board offices, limited workspace is available for Contractor personnel to occupy on a long-term basis. As such, work may be permitted at Contractor facilities, as appropriate.

6. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

USAB will provide Government furnished equipment or services for presenters to the extent necessary for the Contractor to carry out the requirements of this contract.

7. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall comply with all Federal laws and regulations regarding computer security, information security, and privacy. The Contractor and its employees shall exercise the utmost care regarding all matters relating to their duties and functions and in the safeguarding of pre-decisional or sensitive information (privacy, etc.) from inadvertent release.

7.1. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES

• The Contractor shall be responsible for Information Technology security for all systems connected to a US Access Board (USAB) network or operated by the Contractor for USAB, regardless of location. This clause is applicable to all or any part of the contract that includes information technology resources or services in which the Contractor has physical or electronic access to USAB’s sensitive information that directly supports the mission of USAB. The term “information technology,” as used in this clause, means any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment, including telecommunications equipment, which is used in the automatic acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. This includes both major applications and general support systems as defined by OMB Circular A-130. Examples of tasks that require security provisions include:

o Hosting of USAB sites or other IT operations.

o Acquisition, transmission, or analysis of data owned by USAB with significant replacement cost should the Contractor’s copy be corrupted; and o Access to USAB general support systems/major applications at a level beyond that granted the public, e.g., bypassing a firewall.

• The Contractor shall develop, provide, implement, and maintain an IT Security Plan. This plan shall describe the processes and procedures that will be followed to ensure appropriate security of IT resources that are developed, processed, or used under this contract. The plan shall describe those parts of the contract to which this clause applies.

The Contractor’s IT Security Plan shall comply with applicable Federal Laws that include, but are not limited to, 40 U.S.C. 11331, the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002 and the E-Government Act of 2002. The plan shall meet IT security requirements in accordance with Federal and USAB policies and procedures, as they may be amended from time to time during the term of this contract that include, but are not limited to:

o OMB Circular A-130, Management of Federal Information Resources, Appendix III, Security of Federal Automated Information Resources.

o National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Guidelines.

• Within 30 days after award, the Contractor shall submit the IT Security Plan to the

Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for acceptance. This plan shall be consistent with and further detail the approach contained in the offeror's proposal that resulted in the award of this contract and in compliance with the requirements stated in this clause. The plan, as accepted by the COR, shall be incorporated into the contract as a compliance document. The Contractor shall comply with the accepted plan.

• On an annual basis, the Contractor shall submit verification to the COR that the IT Security Plan remains valid.

• The Contractor shall ensure that the following banner(s) are displayed on all USAB systems (both public and private) operated by the Contractor prior to allowing anyone access to the system:

Government Warning

Unauthorized access is a violation of U.S. Law and Department of Transportation policy and may result in criminal or administrative penalties. Users shall not access other users’ or system files without proper authority. Absence of access controls is not an authorization for access! U.S. Access Board information systems and related equipment are intended for communication, transmission, processing, and storage of U.S. Government information. These systems and equipment are subject to monitoring by law enforcement and authorized agency officials. Monitoring may result in the acquisition, recording, and analysis of all data being communicated, transmitted, processed, or stored in this system by law enforcement and authorized agency officials. Use of this system constitutes consent to such monitoring.

• The Contractor shall ensure that the following banner is displayed on all USAB systems that contain Privacy Act information operated by the Contractor prior to allowing anyone access to the system:

This system contains information protected under the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-579). Any privacy information displayed on the screen or printed shall be protected from unauthorized disclosure.

Employee(s) who violate privacy safeguards may be subject to disciplinary actions, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

• Contractor personnel requiring privileged access or limited privileged access to systems operated by the Contractor for the Board or interconnected to a Board network shall be screened at an appropriate level.

• The Contractor shall ensure that its employees, in performance of the contract performing under this contract, receive annual IT security training in accordance with OMB Circular A- 130, FISMA, and NIST requirements, as they may be amended from time to time during the term of this contract, with a specific emphasis on rules of behavior.

• The Contractor shall afford the Government access to the Contractor’s and Sub- Contractors’ facilities, installations, operations, documentation, databases, and personnel used in the performance of the contract. Access shall be provided to the extent required to carry out a program of IT inspection (to include vulnerability testing), investigation, and audit to safeguard against threats and hazards to the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of USAB data or to the function of information technology systems operated on behalf of USAB, and to preserve evidence of computer crime.

• The Contractor shall incorporate the substance of this clause in all subcontracts that meet the conditions in paragraph (a) of this clause.

o The Contractor shall immediately notify the COR and the Contracting Officer when an employee terminates employment and has access to USAB information systems or data.

8. ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall ensure that all Information and Communication Technology (ICT), including but not limited to websites, web applications, software, electronic documents, and multimedia, comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794d), and the Revised 508 Standards (36 CFR Part 1194).

All applicable ICT shall conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA Success Criteria. WCAG 2.2 Level AA shall apply in lieu of WCAG 2.0 Level AA and includes all requirements of WCAG 2.0 with additional success criteria.

8.1. Webinar Platform and Webinar Support

E207.1 Software Where components of ICT are software and transmit information or have a user inter-face, such components shall conform to E207.2 WCAG Conformance and the require-ments in Chapter 5: Software.

E208.1 Support Documentation and Services Where an agency provides support documentation or services for ICT, such documen-tation and services shall conform to the requirements in Chapter 6: Support Documen-tation and Services.

8.2. Webinar Web Pages

E205.4 Electronic Content Accessibility Standard https://www.access-board.gov/ict/ https://www.access-board.gov/ict/ https://www.access-board.gov/ict/

Electronic content shall conform to Level A and Level AA Success Criteria and Con-formance Requirements in WCAG 2.0 (Incorporated by reference, see 702.10.1).

E208.1 Support Documentation and Services Where an agency provides support documentation or services for ICT, such documen-tation and services shall conform to the requirements in Chapter 6: Support Documen-tation and Services.

503.1 Applications

Applications shall conform to 503 Applications.

8.3. Evaluation forms

E205.4 Electronic Content Accessibility Standard Electronic content shall conform to Level A and Level AA Success Criteria and Con-formance Requirements in WCAG 2.0 (Incorporated by reference, see 702.10.1).

E208.1 Support Documentation and Services Where an agency provides support documentation or services for ICT, such documen-tation and services shall conform to the requirements in Chapter 6: Support Documen-tation and Services.

503.1 Applications

Applications shall conform to 503 Applications.

https://www.access-board.gov/ict/ https://www.access-board.gov/ict/ https://www.access-board.gov/ict/ https://www.access-board.gov/ict/ https://www.access-board.gov/ict/