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Meet the CIO Council Accessibility Committee
Posted By: Frank Baitman, CIO, Social Security Administration
A little over a year ago, the CIO Council established the Accessibility Committee in an effort to raise awareness and engage Federal CIOs to improve accessibility within both their agencies and the government as a whole. Disability advocates from outside government and many government insiders recommended the Federal government adopt a stronger overall federal approach to technology accessibility.
As the CIO of the Social Security Administration, an agency that has a direct relationship with so many people with disabilities, I was delighted to step into the position of Co-Chair of the Committee, along with Craig Luigart from the Veterans Health Administration. Both of us share the perspective that technology accessibility is necessary to achieve most Federal goals related to disability. We are realistic, and we understand this role is a big challenge. Accessibility is complex, and it requires active engagement of many different key stakeholders within Federal agencies, not the least of whom is the CIO. Agencies with missions that include improving the lives of people with disabilities must walk the walk when it comes to the accessibility of their websites and the technology tools routinely used by their employees and those they serve.
The Accessibility Committee brings people together from many different agencies who share a high degree of passion and expertise for accessibility. One of the committee’s primary targets is the disconnected way that most agencies approach implementation of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires the Federal government to make sure accessibility is included in the plans when purchasing, developing, using and maintaining technology. The Committee encourages a Community of Practice approach to Section 508 implementation.
There are four subcommittees: Best Practices and Resources, Communications/Public Outreach, Education and Vendor Outreach. Our first major accomplishment was to host, along with the U.S. Access Board, General Services Administration and the Chief Acquisitions Officers Council, three public Listening Sessions. We scheduled the next session on June 17 at Stanford University. At that session, we will host high tech companies and disability advocates. We invited the high tech community to introduce them to the issues of people with disabilities.
One of the Committee’s early “wins” is the development of a Best Practices Library. The first articles are being reviewed now, and they’ll be publicly posted on the Accessibility Committee’s website so that other federal agencies – and members of the public – can learn from experiences that have already worked well! Be on the lookout in the near future for the launch of this Library.
This blog is part of the Committee’s commitment to transparency. Craig and I will provide more details about specific projects in future postings. Please go to the Accessibility Committee website for more details, and to stay informed on the CIO Council’s work to promote accessibility for all Americans.
Frank Baitman is the Social Security Administration CIO
