A report released by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) says states have the opportunity to stimulate the capabilities of the supplier community and an obligation to set the public policy direction when it comes to accessibility in IT procurement.
The report is part two of a two-part series. Part I, released in July, introduced a new policy-driven approach to information and communications technology (ICT) accessibility for state CIOs, procurement organizations and vendors. Part II, released today, includes adoption information for states and case study examples from Texas and Minnesota.
The report claims that accessibility in ICT and the process to integrate these requirements in state government procurement has not received enough attention and is an imperative in today’s society. But Policy-Driven Adoption for Accessibility (PDAA) — a new approach that procurement organizations can use that can help vendors develop accessible offerings while strengthening existing procurement and contract requirements — can help strategically drive a culture of accessibility.
"As more state and other procurement organizations include PDAA policy criteria and tools as part of their solicitation requirements, coupled with the increased visibility of ICT importance and regulations in the marketplace, vendors will need to place a much higher priority on ICT accessibility," says the report.
