Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act
Procurement Recommendations 1.0

Purpose

The Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act (Public Act 095-0307) requires that information technology developed, purchased, or provided by the State is accessible to individuals with disabilities. The following recommendations identify steps that the State of Illinois can take to ensure that the Standards are consistently and effectively applied within existing procurement and/or development processes.

Recommendations

Central Management Services

1. The Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act Standards should be published at http://www.dhs.state.il.us/iitaa. The current Illinois Web Accessibility Standards web site (http://www.illinois.gov/iwas) should be redirected to the IITAA Standards site. Links to the IITAA Standards site should be posted on the Illinois Procurement Bulletin, the Illinois Center for Procurement Resources, and related web sites. Current and future State web site templates should include an "Accessibility" link in the footer that points to the IITAA Standards site.
2. Questions about compliance with IITAA Standards should be asked at appropriate stages of the Illinois Information Technology Governance Process. The following question (or similar) should be included in the Technical Requirements Template:

   As required by Illinois Public Act 095-0307, all information technology, including electronic information, software, systems, and equipment, developed or provided through this initiative must comply with the applicable requirements of the Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act Standards as posted at http://www.dhs.state.il.us/iitaa.

   Will the information technology developed, procured, or modified as part of this initiative comply with applicable requirements of the Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act Standards? If not, which exceptions apply? (See http://www.dhs.state.il.us/iitaa for additional information.)

3. The following language (or similar) should be included in bid, contracting, and related boilerplate and template documents:

   As required by Illinois Public Act 095-0307, all information technology, including electronic information, software, systems, and equipment, developed or provided under this contract must comply with the applicable requirements of the Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act Standards as posted at http://www.dhs.state.il.us/iitaa.

   Inclusion of this language should be considered for the following documents:

   • Information Technology Governance Templates
   • Procurement Business Case (PBC)
   • Request for Proposals (RFP)
   • Invitation for Bids (IFB)
   • Contract
   • Statement of Work
   • Standard Amendment
   • Release Order
   • Renewal Agreement
   • Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA)
   • Telecommunications Service Request (TSR)
   • Telecommunications Data Request (TDR)
4. When appropriate, vendors should be asked to submit a completed Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (http://www.access-star.org/ITI-VPAT-v1.3.html) as part of responses/proposals.

State Entities (working through non-CMS processes)

1. State entities should ensure that appropriate project and program administrators are aware of the IITAA and understand that IITAA standards must be applied when information technology is purchased, developed, or modified through non-CMS processes.
2. State entities that regularly follow non-CMS development and/or procurement processes should review the above recommendations and incorporate similar measures into corresponding policies, procedures, and documents.

IITAA Workgroup

1. The IITAA Workgroup should draft an interagency memorandum to be sent under the authority of the Director of CMS and/or the Secretary of DHS to notify the heads of all agencies, constitutional offices, and public universities of the IITAA, the location of the Standards, and related changes to procurement and governance processes.
2. The IITAA Workgroup should develop informational/guidance materials for:
   • Chief Information Officers (via the Information Technology Board of Advisors)
   • State Procurement Officers
   • Agency Legal Counsel
   • Vendors
   These materials should be posted on the IITAA web site and presented at appropriate meetings of these groups.