ATTACHMENT 1 Applicability of SSA's 508.doc

RFP No. SSA-RFP-13-0015

Attachment 1

Applicability of SSA’s Accessibility Requirements to EIT Solutions

1.0 Applicability of SSA’s Accessibility Requirements to EIT Solutions

The Social Security Administration considers accessibility to Electronic and Information Technology, hereafter referred to as “EIT”, a priority for all employees and external customers, including people with disabilities. SSA requires that EIT procured, developed, maintained, or utilized meets the accessibility requirements under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 794d and additional agency specific accessibility requirements, hereafter referred to in total as “SSA’s Accessibility Requirements”. This is to ensure the accessibility of its programs and activities to people with disabilities, specifically its obligation to acquire accessible EIT. The EIT deliverables covered under SSA’s Accessibility Requirements include:

· Any equipment or interconnected system or subsystems of equipment used in the creation, conversion, or duplication of data or information. The term EIT includes, but is not limited to, software applications and operating systems, telecommunications products, worldwide websites, video, multimedia, information kiosks, office equipment (e.g., desktops, copiers, fax machines, printers, and notebook computers), and electronic content.

· Any EIT deliverables developed, procured, maintained, or used by agencies directly or used by a contractor under a contract with an agency that requires the use of such product, or requires the use to a significant extent, of such product in the performance of a service or the furnishing of a product.

· The final delivered EIT products provided through custom development, installation, configuration, integration, and maintenance services.

The contractor’s response may include a single EIT product or service, or be comprised of multiple EIT products and services bundled together (i.e. solution). Within this document, the term “EIT solution” shall refer to both. All technical requirements and functional performance criteria that are associated with the checked sections below must be addressed. At a minimum, the contractor’s EIT solution shall conform to the following checked requirements:

Applicable Section 508 Standards

Software Applications and Operating Systems

Web Information and Applications

1194.23 Telecommunications

1194.24 Video and Multimedia

1194.25 Self-contained, Closed Products

1194.26 Desktop and Personal Computers

Functional Performance Criteria

Information and Documentation Support

Applicable additional agency specific accessibility requirements

Software Compatibility with Assistive Technology

Documentation in Accessible Formats

1.3 Video and sound card compatibility with assistive technology

1.4 Hardware Devices that Contain Digital Windows

Technical Support and Assistance (Hotline)\

1.6 Training

Installation, Configuration & Integration Services

Maintenance and replacements

Labor Hours

Equivalent Facilitation

Definitions of additional agency specific accessibility requirements 1.1

Software Compatibility with Assistive Technology

All IT software deliverables provided as part of the contractor’s solution must be compatible with:

· JAWS screen reading software (Version 10);

· MAGIC screen magnification software (Version 11); and

· Dragon Naturally Speaking Professional voice recognition software (Version 10).

“Software” includes, but is not limited to, any of the following which contain a user interface: websites, interactive web based applications, client server applications, desktop applications, mainframe applications, applets, middleware, and drivers.

“Compatible” means that the software shall fully conform to the applicable Section 508 standards when used with the assistive technology referenced above. Alternative assistive technologies embedded within the software to achieve accessibility (i.e. screen reader, screen magnifier, voice recognition) shall not be accepted as a substitute for compatibility with SSA’s assistive technology environment.

If the contractor’s solution includes installing the product in the SSA environment, the contractor shall explicitly state that the software shall be installed in a manner that shall not reduce the level of conformance with SSA accessibility requirements that currently exists.

For a complete description on the JAWS and MAGIC software packages, please refer to Freedom Scientific’s web site at www.FreedomScientific.com. To obtain a 30/60 day version of the JAWS/MAGIC software for development and testing, please send contact information and the SSA procurement number (for verification) to Charles Madsen at: Cmadsen@FreedomScientific.com.

For a complete description on the Dragon Naturally Speaking software package, please refer to Nuance’s web site at http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking. To obtain a trial version of the Dragon Naturally Speaking software for development and testing, please send contact information and the SSA procurement number (for verification) to Tom Derrico at: tderrico@nuance.com.

Any form of documentation provided (i.e. training manual, user guides, embedded documents etc.), including any documentation deliverables required in the statement of work, shall be provided in a fully accessible format.

The documents shall be provided in one of the following formats: Text, RTF, Microsoft Word or HTML format , or properly “tagged” PDF,. Properly tagged PDF’s can be verified by using Adobe Acrobat’s Accessibility Checker.

Documentation delivered in a manner that is interactive (e.g., table of contents, Index, Search, etc.) shall be keyboard navigable, move focus to selected items (or have a keyboard alternative) and be comparable in keyboard access to mouse usage. All images (especially screenshots and technical diagrams (which are the sole means for conveying instructions) should include alternative text explaining the image so that a person who is blind would understand the screenshot, chart, figure, etc. Documentation shall include information on the accessibility features of the product. If keyboard shortcuts are provided to allow access to program functionality, a list of the keyboard shortcuts shall be provided.

Documentation that is delivered in a video or multimedia publication shall comply with the Section 508 requirements detailed in 36 CFR part 1194.24 and the functional performance criteria detailed in 36 CFR 1194 Subpart C. In addition, SSA requires conformance to SSA’s Accessibility Requirements for all video and multi-media deliverables. SSA does not accept text equivalents used to replace speech, and requires captions to be synchronized with speech.

Video and sound cards purchased separately for, or included with, any desktop or portable computer systems shall be compatible with the following Assistive Technologies:

· JAWS screen reading software (Version 10);

· MAGIC screen magnification software (Version 11); and

· Dragon Naturally Speaking Professional voice recognition software (Version 10).

Compatibility shall be determined based on the video/and or sound card’s ability to function with all three assistive technology in a manner that does not degrade either the core functionality of the AT or the performance of the AT.

For a listing of video and sound cards that are compatible with the JAWS and MAGIC software packages, please refer to Freedom Scientific’s web site at www.freedomscientific.com.

For a listing of video and sound cards that are compatible with Dragon Naturally Speaking Professional, please refer to Nuance’s web site at www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking.

· Any hardware device shall provide an audible response for information displayed in a visual only format (i.e. digital message window) either through software or firmware.

· Any hardware digital window that has the capability to magnify text shall do so for all screens either through software or firmware.

· Any hardware digital window that has the capability to adjust contrast settings shall provide a range of contrast levels either through software or firmware.

· Any hardware digital window that has the capability to be tilted for better viewing angles shall provide a range of settings.

If digital windows meet the above requirements through software residing on a computer workstation, the software must be “compatible” with

· JAWS screen reading software (Version 10);

· MAGIC screen magnification software (Version 11); and

· Dragon Naturally Speaking Professional voice recognition software (Version 10).

Compatibility shall be determined based on the video/and or sound card’s ability to function with all three assistive technology in a manner that does not degrade either the core functionality of the AT or the performance of the AT.

Any technical support, help desks, or other support services provided to SSA shall accommodate the communication needs of end users with disabilities, and shall be provided in one or both of the following options. If both options are provided, each must conform to the accessibility requirements.

· A toll-free telephone number that is accessible to all Government help desk personnel. This shall include the availability of TTY access for help desk personnel who may require assistance for the hearing-impaired. When this option is provided, it must be available during SSA working hours (i.e. between 6am Eastern and 6pm Pacific time).

· An internet-based web page that is accessible to all Government help desk personnel. This web site shall meet all of the requirements of Section 508 1194.22.

All training materials provided to SSA must be in an accessible format. In addition, training materials on the use of the accessibility features of a product or service shall be provided.

If the contractor provides installation, configuration and integration services for commercial EIT solutions or EIT solutions previously developed for other government entities, the contractor shall not install, configure or integrate the EIT solution in a way that reduces the existing EIT solution’s level of conformance with SSA’s accessibility requirements at the time the contract is awarded.

Any updates or replacements to EIT products provided to SSA pursuant to this contract shall be fully accessible with all applicable SSA’s accessibility requirements as described above. At a minimum, any updates or replacements to any IT deliverables shall not result in a decrease in accessibility from the EIT solution being maintained or replaced.

If the anticipated labor hour deliverable is expected to involve tasks that relate to or require the use of E&IT, delivered labor hours shall include knowledge and capabilities necessary to conform to SSA’s Accessibility Requirements.

When a deliverable does not directly conform to the SSA Accessibility Requirements, but provides substantially equivalent or greater access by meeting the functional performance criteria in Subpart C of the Section 508 Standards, per Section 1194.31, then it is said to have provided Equivalent Facilitation.

Any approach providing Equivalent Facilitation that serves as a replacement to the Assistive Technologies SSA employs (e.g. an external speech engine) shall NOT be considered as an acceptable approach to Equivalent Facilitation. For any approach meeting Section 508 Standards using Equivalent Facilitation, the contractor shall be held accountable for maintaining and updating the approach.

2.0 Acceptance Criteria

SSA reserves the right to perform testing on a contractor’s EIT solution in order to validate that the contractor has installed, configured or integrated the EIT solution in a way that does not reduce the level of conformance with SSA’s Accessibility Requirements.

SSA reserves the right to test replacements or maintenance upgrades to ensure this requirement is met throughout the life of the contract.

This document will be an attachment to the solicitation’s “Instructions to Offerors”.

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