Thread Subject: Re: Best Meets

Note

This archival content is maintained by WebAIM and NCDAE on behalf of TEITAC and the U.S. Access Board . Additional details on the updates to section 508 and section 255 can be found at the Access Board web site.

From: terry.weaver@gsa.gov
Date: Thu, Mar 22 2007 2:20 PM

As I read Diane's suggestion, it seemed to imply that the government first
identify products that meet the agency's business need and then select
from them the most accessible. That is a step back from the premise we
have been operating under - that 508 is an equal business need. It is
what we're teaching in our courses and including in our tools (the Buy
Accessible Wizard).

Procurement is a complicated process and also a repetitive one.
Requirements definition can occur multiple times as the government buyer
learns more about the marketplace. I do not see how any of these
suggestions improve the current language - IMHO.




"Diane Golden" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Sent by: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
03/21/2007 07:25 PM
Please respond to
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ; Please respond to
"TEITAC Subpart A Subcommittee" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >


To
"TEITAC SubPart A listserv (E-mail)" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
cc

Subject
[teitac-subparta] Best Meets






In Robert's last message he asked about re-framing the discussion.
Basically, should the 508 regs be addressing procurement decision-making
logic or not? As I thought about that, I decided to take a shot at
revising
the current regs to remove the existing language that already leads one to
believe the regs are dictating procurement decision-making, specifically
statements like "agencies shall procure". In doing so the language might
look like the following --

(b) When procuring a product, each agency shall ensure [procure] products
[,which] comply with the provisions in this part when such products are
available in the commercial marketplace (and the products’ utility and
performance meet the agency’s identified business and technical
requirements.)

(c) Agencies cannot claim a product, as a whole is not commercially
available because no product in the marketplace meets all the standards.
If
products are commercially available that meet some but not all of the
standards, the agency must ensure that [procure the] products [that] best
[meets the standards] comply with the provisions in this part (and meet
the
agency’s identified business and technical requirements.)

The references to business and technical requirements (in parens) might or
might not be included. Does this come close to provide the same level of
direction (or ambiguity depending on your point of reference) as the
current
regs while eliminating the conundrum of 508 regs dictating procurement
decision-making?

Diane

WebAIM is an initiative of:
Center for Persons with Disabilities (CPD) Utah State University