Section_508_Compliance_instructions.pdf

3. SECTION 508 COMPLIANCE

Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility, Section 508 Compliance is applicable to this solicitation and the following information is provided to assist in proposal preparation.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO OFFERORS: The following information shall be addressed in a separate section of the Technical Proposal, entitled, "Section 508 Compliance."

Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility, HHSAR 352.239-73(a) (January 2010)

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the Workforce

Investment Act of 1998, and the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board

Electronic and Information (EIT) Accessibility Standards (36 CFR part 1194), require that, unless an exception applies, all EIT products and services developed, acquired, maintained, or used by any Federal department or agency permit--

Federal employees with disabilities to have access to and use information and data that is comparable to the access and use of information and data by Federal employees who are not individuals with disabilities; and

Members of the public with disabilities seeking information or services from a Federal agency to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use of information and data by members of the public who are not individuals with disabilities.

Accordingly, any vendor submitting a proposal/quotations/bid in response to this solicitation must demonstrate compliance with the established EIT accessibility standards. Information about Section 508 visions is available at http://www.section508.gov/. The complete text of

Section 508 Final Provisions can be accessed at http://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards.

The Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this solicitation are identified in the

Statement of Work/Specification/Performance Work Statement. In order to facilitate the

Government's evaluation to determine whether EIT products and services proposed meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must prepare an HHS Section 508

Product Assessment Template, in accordance with its completion instructions, and provide a binding statement of conformance. The purpose of the template is to assist HHS acquisition and program officials in determining that EIT products and services proposed support applicable

Section 508 accessibility standards. The template allows vendors or developers to self-evaluate their products or services and document in detail how they do or do not conform to a specific

Section 508 standard. Instructions for preparing the HHS Section 508 Product Evaluation

Template may be found on the HHS Web site

(http://www.hhs.gov/web/508/contracting/technology/vendors.html).

Respondents to this solicitation must also provide any additional detailed information necessary for determining applicable Section 508 standards conformance, as well as for documenting EIT products or services that are incidental to the project, which would constitute an exception to

Section 508 requirements. If a vendor claims its products or services, including EIT deliverables such as electronic documents and reports, meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards in its completed HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template, and it is later determined by the

Government -- i.e., after award of a contract/order, that products or services delivered do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the Product Assessment Template, remediation of the products or services to the level of conformance specified in the vendor's

Product Assessment Template will be the responsibility of the Contractor and at its expense.

The "HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template" is included as Attachment 4, of this solicitation.