[SEC508] Access Board has published the ICT ANPRM

["Baquis, David " <baquis@Access-Board.gov>]

The Access Board has just issued an ANPRM for Section 508 Standards. The announcement and preamble was published in the Federal Register (see http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-6245.htm). The full text of the draft is available on our website (see our news release http://www.access-board.gov/news/ict-draft-rule.htm).

 

ANPRM stands for Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.  Think of this as a draft before the draft (which will be called an NPRM at that time). We are far from completing a “final” rule, so please do NOT think of this as something that is finished and enforceable. There are a lot of questions sprinkled throughout the draft to prompt public comments.

 

Also, please note it is more than a refresh of 508. It also addresses a part of the ADAAG, as well as Section 255 Guidelines. Therefore, we are calling it ICT (information and communication technology).  The term ICT is commonly used internationally and is proposed to replace E&IT.

 

DETAILS ON SUBMITTING COMMENTS: 

The comment period will be open for 90 days, due by June 21, 2010.  

All comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.

 

You may submit comments, identified by docket number 2010-1 or RIN number 3014-AA37, by any of the following methods:

·         Federal eRulemaking Portal:  http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#docketDetail?R=ATBCB-2010-0001.

·         E-mail:  ictrule@access-board.gov.  Include docket number 2010-1 or RIN number 3014-AA37 in the subject line of the message.

·         Fax:  202-272-0081.

·         Mail or Hand Delivery/Courier:  Office of Technical and Informational Services, Access Board, 1331 F Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC  20004-1111.

 

PUBLIC HEARING AT CSUN

A public hearing at the CSUN conference in San Diego will be hosted by the Access Board on Thursday, March 25, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon PT.  It will be held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel, Elizabeth Ballroom, One Market Place, San Diego, CA  92101.  Those people who wish to pre-register to testify, please contact Kathy Johnson at (202) 272-0041 or Johnson@access-board.gov.  Persons wishing to testify may also sign-up on-site Thursday morning before the hearing and until sign-in spaces are filled.  Anyone may attend the hearing.  One need NOT need to be registered to attend the CSUN conference to attend the hearing.

 

PRESENTATIONS

1.    Tim Creagan will conduct a session at the CSUN on Tuesday, March 23 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the ANPRM and draft, “508: The Next Generation”.  This is part of the pre-conference, and requires a separate fee from the conference itself.  For further information, see:  http://csunconference.org/index.cfm?EID=80000218&p=151&page=PPVSchedule&ECTID=0.

 

2.    Also on Tuesday March 23^rd (at 2:20PM) David Baquis will speak at the FOSE Conference in Washington DC.  Admission is free of charge. See: http://fose.com/Events/FOSE-2010/Sessions/Tuesday/ALT5-GSA-Section-508.aspx. I will share the panel with Helen Chamberlain of GSA and Mark Rew of DoD CAP. This is a basic 508 workshop and the ANPRM will be mentioned only briefly.

 

3.    The Access Board will host a webinar on April 1^st on the ICT rule. See: http://www.accessibilityonline.org/Schedule/.

 

David Baquis

Accessibility Specialist

U.S. Access Board

www.access-board.gov

202-272-0013