FWC 24.25-30 - RFI - Final.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI): FWC 24/25-30

TITLE: WEB CONTENT ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES REMEDIATION & TRAINING

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SCHEDULE DUE DATE METHOD

RFI Advertised October 7, 2024 Posted on the Vendor Information Portal:

https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/

Deadline for Written Questions

Must be received PRIOR to:

October 16, 2024

@ 5:00 PM ET

See Deadline for Written Questions Clause

Answers to Written Questions The Commission’s response to an inquiry will be sent directly to the vendor via email.

Written Response to RFI

Must be received PRIOR to:

October 30, 2024

@ 5:00 PM ET

See Written Response to RFI Clause

DEFINITIONS

1. Archive Electronically Communicated Information that was created before April 24, 2026, reproduces paper documents created before April 24, 2026, or reproduces the contents of other physical media created before April 24, 2026; is retained exclusively for reference, research, or recordkeeping; is not altered or updated after the date of archiving; and is organized and stored in a dedicated area or areas identified as being archived.

2. Certifications Document or contract certifying documents comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended (29 U.S.C. §794d) and, at minimum, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA.

3. Compliance Status Conventional electronic documents available as part of FWC's Electronically Communicated Information before April 24, 2026, should be classified as “Archivable” unless such documents are currently used to apply for, gain access to, or participate in FWC's services, programs, or activities. Conventional electronic documents available as part of FWC's Electronically Communicated Information, should be classified as either Needs Remediation or Compliant.

4. Conventional Electronic Documents Web content or content in mobile apps in the following electronic file formats: portable document formats (“PDF”), word processor file formats, presentation file formats, and spreadsheet file formats.

FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

1875 ORANGE AVENUE EAST

TALLAHASSEE, FL 32301

(850) 488-6551 https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/

Request for Information – Revised 03.29.2023 FWC 24/25-30, Page 2 of 5

5. Remediation Editing documents deemed non-compliant to correct accessibility issues and errors to comply with, at the minimum, WCAG 2.1, Level AA standards. Successfully remediated documents should be visually the same as their non-compliant counterparts and pass verification using one or more accessibility validation tools.

6. Web Content The information and sensory experience provided via a user agent (e.g. a web browser), including but not limited to code or markup that defines the content's structure, presentation, and interactions. This includes but is not limited to text, images, sounds, videos, controls, animations, and conventional electronic documents.

7. Electronically Communicated Information (ECI) Web content, mobile apps, social media posts, and email communications.

8. WCAG 2.1, Level AA The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (“WCAG”) 2.1, W3C Recommendation 05 June 2018, https://www.w3.org/TR/2018/REC-WCAG21-20180605 and https://perma.cc/UB8A-GG2F.

STATEMENT OF NEED

This is a Request for Information (RFI) as defined in Section 287.012(22), Florida Statues (F.S.), for informational and planning purposes only. This RFI is issued by the State of Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (“Commission” or “FWC”), to solicit information regarding the services described herein.

An RFI is not a method of procurement. Responses to an RFI are not offers and shall not be accepted by the Commission to form a binding Contract. This RFI and responses to it shall not result in the execution of a Contract with the Commission. By submitting a response to this RFI, a vendor is not prohibited from responding to any related subsequent solicitation. This RFI may be used for purposes of determining whether or not to competitively procure a commodity or contractual service, determining what solicitation process to use, or researching general, special, and/or technical specifications for a project or solicitation.

The Commission reserves the right to utilize the information gathered through the RFI process to develop a scope of services, which may be incorporated into a Contract using a statutorily approved method of procurement.

FWC is seeking information regarding cataloging, triaging, and remediating pre-existing FWC-owned Electronically Communicated Information (ECI) to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 Level AA). The FWC is also seeking information regarding training services for remediating and creating accessible ECI. Federal law mandates that the FWC is brought into compliance with WCAG 2.1, Level AA ECI by April 24, 2026. The Commission is requesting this information in order to remediate pre-existing non-compliant ECI.

All interested partners are invited to participate in the RFI by submitting a written response as indicated in this RFI document. The information provided as a result of this RFI is intended to be used to develop a future solicitation for the technologies described herein.

The Commission reserves the right to use or reject any information supplied in response to this RFI.

https://www.w3.org/%E2%80%8BTR/%E2%80%8B2018/%E2%80%8BREC-WCAG21-20180605 https://perma.cc/%E2%80%8BUB8A-GG2F

Request for Information – Revised 03.29.2023 FWC 24/25-30, Page 3 of 5

PROJECT BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION

On April 24, 2024, the Federal Register published the Department of Justice’s final rule updating its regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/24/2024-07758/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-accessibility-of-web-information-and-services-of-state). The final rule has specific requirements about ensuring web content and mobile applications (apps) are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.

Anticipated Steps in the Project are as follows:

Step 1 This proposed FWC ADA Compliance Remediation project would catalog, review, and remediate FWC-owned ECI to meet the requirements of the updated rule by:

1) Cataloging all FWC-owned documents

• FWC has identified approximately ten (10) different types of document repositories to be cataloged.

• The cataloging system must ensure security consistency due to the management of personally identifiable information (PII).

2) Reviewing and prioritizing non-compliant documents

• FWC has initially identified approximately 5 million conventional electronic documents to be reviewed; the cataloging process will determine the final document count.

• Approximately 4,000 non-compliant documents are stored on MyFWC.com and should be prioritized.

3) Remediating non-compliant (WCAG 2.1, Level AA) documents and issuing compliance certifications.

4) Archiving documents and other associated data that meet the rule definition of ‘Archivable.’

Step 2 This proposed FWC ADA Compliance Remediation project would also provide training resources or programs covering topics including, but not limited to:

1) Adobe PDF accessibility

2) Word document accessibility

3) PowerPoint document accessibility

4) Excel document accessibility

Step 3 This proposed FWC ADA Compliance Remediation project would also catalog, review, and remediate FWC-owned code to meet the requirements of the updated rule by:

1) Cataloging all FWC-owned websites and content platforms

• FWC has identified approximately nine (9) different types of platforms to be cataloged.

i. SharePoint

ii. Websites including MyFWC.com

iii. .Net

iv. ArcGIS

v. Power Platforms https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/24/2024-07758/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-accessibility-of-web-information-and-services-of-state https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/24/2024-07758/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-accessibility-of-web-information-and-services-of-state

Request for Information – Revised 03.29.2023 FWC 24/25-30, Page 4 of 5

vi. Laserfiche

vii. Dynamics 365

viii. Salesforce

ix. R

• The cataloging system must ensure security consistency due to the management of personally identifiable information (PII).

2) Reviewing and prioritizing non-compliant code.

3) Remediating non-compliant (WCAG 2.1, Level AA) code and issuing compliance certifications.

RFI RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

Responses to this RFI shall include the following:

1. The vendor’s complete name, address, telephone number, email address, FEID number and the vendor’s point of contact for this RFI.

2. Provide product(s) specifications that meet the features listed in the Statement of Need above.

3. Provide answers to the following questions:

a. What quality control/assurance strategies would be used to monitor and verify that project deliverables are being met?

b. What is the proposed method for reviewing and evaluating documents in multiple storage locations

(repositories) for compliance and prioritization? Not all repositories are publicly accessible and may require prior authorization.

c. What is the proposed method for providing the FWC with completed WCAG 2.1, Level AA compliant documents?

d. What are the proposed training methods, and what topics would they include? Staff is dispersed throughout the state.

e. What is the plan for ongoing training for new staff and staff who require training remediation?

f. Are you able to provide a demo of your services?

g. What is the total cost estimate, including a cost estimate breakdown for each step from the

Statement of Need?

h. How long would each process take, as identified in the Statement of Need?

INFORMATION EFFECTS

The Commission will use the information gained from this RFI to develop a solicitation in order to contract with a vendor in order to comply with federal law regarding state agency ADA compliance for ECI.

PROCUREMENT MANAGER

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Tallahassee Purchasing Office Attn: Ruth Heggen, Procurement Manager 1875 Orange Avenue East Tallahassee, Florida 32301 ruth.heggen@myfwc.com

DEADLINE FOR WRITTEN QUESTIONS

Written questions that require an answer concerning this RFI shall be submitted in writing to the Procurement Manager identified in the previous section. Questions must be received no later than the date

Request for Information – Revised 03.29.2023 FWC 24/25-30, Page 5 of 5 and time specified in the Calendar of Events (Page 1). Questions may be sent via email with the RFI number in the subject line. It is the responsibility of the vendor to confirm receipt of questions if needed.

WRITTEN RESPONSE TO RFI

Written responses to this RFI must be submitted to the Procurement Manager via email no later than the date and time specified in the Calendar of Events. Responses should include the RFI number in the subject line.

The Commission reserves the right to use any information supplied in any manner. After the Commission has received all responses to this RFI, the Commission, in its sole discretion, shall determine if a meeting with respondents is necessary to clarify the information received. In the event that the Commission decides to hold a meeting, the Respondent(s) will be notified via email.

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

Any portion of the submitted response which is asserted to be exempt from disclosure under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, shall be clearly marked “exempt”, “confidential”, or “trade secret” (as applicable) and shall also contain the statutory basis for such claim on every page containing such exempt information. Pages containing trade secrets shall be marked “trade secret as defined in Section 812.081, Florida Statutes”.

Failure to segregate and identify such portions shall constitute a waiver of any claimed exemption and the Commission will provide such records in response to public records requests without notifying the respondent. Designating material simply as “proprietary” will not necessarily protect it from disclosure under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. An entire response should not be considered “trade secret”.

PLEASE NOTE: Any submitted material that is not clearly marked as stated in this Section, Proprietary Information, is subject to Florida Statute 119, Public Records.

VENDOR COSTS

Vendors are responsible for all costs associated with preparing a response to this RFI. The State of Florida and the Commission will not be responsible for any vendor costs associated with preparing a response to this RFI.

The Commission appreciates your time and interest in responding to this Request for Information.

THIS IS NOT A COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH 287.057(1), F.S. PLEASE DO

NOT ATTEMPT TO SUBMIT A BID, PROPOSAL OR OTHER PRESENTATION.