In the public procurement of ICT, there are three priority standards to be aware of: (1) The European Standard ‘EN 301 549’ (used in Europe and increasingly being adopted by other countries outside the EU); (2) The US Federal Government’s ‘Section 508’; and (3) The international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, ‘WCAG 2.0’. The third, WCAG 2.0, can be implemented separately, but it only covers the web and digital content. The first and second have a broader scope of ICT beyond the web, and they also completely include the web standards of WCAG 2.0.
1. The first choice is which Standards to implement. To get an overview of the history and the structure of the three Priority Standards, read the Guide to Implementing Priority ICT Accessibility Standards: Critical Technical Specifications to Support Digital Inclusion. This short, concise guide was written as part of the Smart Cities for All project, but the content applies very broadly for any group that is interested in implementing ICT accessibility in any public procurement policy project.
2. Familiarize yourself with the content of the Priority Standards. These documents contain technical requirements for ICT accessibility.
3. To be effective in procurement practice, it is necessary to take the technical language and concepts of the Standards, and transform this into actionable procurement language that can be included in solicitations and reviews of performance. A great deal of work has already been done to provide this kind of language. In the Portal, toolkits, training resources and other supporting documents are in the three subsections: Resources for Understanding and Implementing...(1) The EU Standard 'EN 301 549'; (2) The US Federal Rule 'Section 508'; and (3) The Web Accessibility Standard 'WCAG2.0';
4. If your implementation of the Standards has been as part of an informal or ad hoc process, you may be missing the advantages of embedding accessibility as part of your organization’s ways of doing business, but making your Policy. Read the Guide to Adopting an ICT Accessibility Procurement Policy from G3ict.This guide introduces the benefits of embedding ICT in your Policy statements, and introduces the concepts and resources associated with Model Policies that can be adopted.
5. Need more help? Continue to our next pathway guide: I need to find subject matter experts who can help me with implementation..
Next Pathway: I need to find subject matter experts who can help me with implementation…