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Re: FW: U.S. Access Board Publishes Updated ICT Requirementsin the Federal Register

for

From: Jonathan Avila
Date: Jan 18, 2017 12:35PM


> * This means that all ICT must be compliant if published on March 20,
2017 or afterwards.

Bevi, to clarify the Section 255 guidelines are not required until they are adopted by the FCC. As you point out the Section 508 standards are not required to be met until January 2018. So even though the rule is effective -- compliance is still a ways out, however, organizations should be preparing now for these new standards and guidelines.

Jonathan

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Chagnon | PubCom
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 1:23 PM
To: 'WebAIM Discussion List'
Subject: [WebAIM] FW: U.S. Access Board Publishes Updated ICT Requirements in the Federal Register

It's official.

Sec. 508 Refresh is now in the US Federal Register and has become the current regulation.




New dates:


* This final rule is effective March 20, 2017.
* This means that all ICT must be compliant if published on March 20,
2017 or afterwards.
* ICT that exists (or was published) before March 20, 2017 must be
compliant with the old standards.
* If this "legacy" ICT has substantial updates or changes after March
20, 2017, it then loses its "grandfathered" status and must now meet the new standards.
* Compliance with the section 508-based standards is not required
until January 18, 2018, 1 year from now. This means DOJ begins enforcement next January 18.




References:


The Federal Register is here,
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/01/18/2017-00395/information-
and-communication-technology-ict-standards-and-guidelines



The Access Board's website is here,
https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/
about-the-ict-refresh/overview-of-the-final-rule



The Access Board's email announcement is below.



--Bevi Chagnon



- - -

Bevi Chagnon | <http://www.pubcom.com/>; www.PubCom.com

Technologists, Consultants, Trainers, Designers, and Developers

for publishing & communication

| Acrobat PDF | Print | EPUBS | Sec. 508 Accessibility |

- - -



From: United States Access Board
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 12:38 PM
To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Subject: U.S. Access Board Publishes Updated ICT Requirements in the Federal Register



U.S. Access Board Publishes Updated ICT Requirements in the Federal Register


<http://www.access-board.gov/images/guidelines_standards/Communications_IT/I
CT_Refresh/508-refresh.jpg> In today's Federal Resister, the U.S. Access Board published a final rule <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&;enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkP
TIwMTcwMTE4LjY4ODkwNzExJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE3MDExOC42ODg5MDcxM
SZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MTE5NDExJmVtYWlsaWQ9YmV2aUBwdWJjb20uY29tJ
nVzZXJpZD1iZXZpQHB1YmNvbS5jb20mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&&&10
0&&&https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/01/18/2017-00395/informat
ion-and-communication-technology-ict-standards-and-guidelines> that
ion-and-communication-technology-ict-standards-and-guidelines> updates
accessibility requirements for information and communication technology
(ICT) covered by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Section 255 of the Communications Act. The Board released an advance copy of the rule on its website last week.

The rule jointly updates and reorganizes the Section 508 standards and Section 255 guidelines to advance accessibility, facilitate compliance, and harmonize the requirements with other standards in the U.S. and abroad. The Section 508 standards apply to ICT procured, developed, maintained, or used by federal agencies. The Communications Act guidelines cover telephones, cell phones, pagers, computers with modems and other telecommunications equipment.