Introduction

Arcata Associates, Inc. is committed to making its products and services compliant with the accessibility standards promulgated by the United States government (the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards, 36 C.F.R. § 1194, http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=12 ) . These regulations implement Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C.A. § 794d), and in many respects incorporate the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG 1.0) published by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Accessibility Efforts

Arcata has taken the following proactive steps to address the needs of its customers with disabilities:

• Arcata has raised the level of awareness of accessibility-related issues within our company, and has educated its senior management about Section 508, and the need to make our products compliant with the accessibility standards.
• Arcata electronic and information technology products and services are under continuing review to meet the terms -- and the spirit -- of the accessibility standards of Section 508.
• Arcata provides a number of customer support and training options to accommodate the needs of all its customers, including those with disabilities and special needs. Arcata also ensures that all employees working with Section 508 related issues are trained in Section 508 implementation through GSA's the 508 Universe which is their central hub for Section 508 training and information resources.
• Arcata has consulted with Access Board guidance, accessibility experts, government contracts counsel and experts, and other information technology companies on accessibility compliance-related issues.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (The Access Board) has put together a informational document that summarizes a number of frequently asked questions (FAQs) that have been posed by agencies, contractors, and members of the disability community regarding Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. These Frequently Asked Questions are available at: http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=73 .

The Section 508 FAQs reemphasize a point made in the Access Board standards themselves: that contractors should use evolving technology aggressively, to achieve accessibility through new and evolving means of equivalent facilitation. The Access Board standards, for example, explain that meeting the standards set forth at section 1194.31 of the Access Board standards would constitute equivalent facilitation, 65 Fed. Reg. 80506-07, and the FAQs confirmed that products that meet the standards under section 1194.31 would be as fully compliant as those that meet the standards under Subpart B, sections 1194.21 et seq. FAQ B.3.ii states:

[Question:] Is there a preference for a product that strictly meets the technical provisions of Subpart B over a product that provides the same or greater accessibility through equivalent facilitation?

[Answer:] No. Purchase of either EIT product would satisfy an agency's obligations under section 508. Award should be made to the source whose offer is most advantageous to the Government based on the agency's source selection criteria (which would include cost or price and may include quality).