2.2-3503 - Procurement requirements. - Virginia Statutes

§ 2.2-3503. Procurement requirements.

A. The technology access clause specified in clause (iii) of § 2.2-3502 shallbe developed by the Secretary of Technology and shall require compliance withthe nonvisual access standards established in subsection B of this section.The clause shall be included in all future contracts for the procurement ofinformation technology by, or for the use of, entities covered by thischapter on or after the effective date of this chapter.

B. At a minimum, the nonvisual access standards shall include the following:(i) the effective, interactive control and use of the technology (includingthe operating system), applications programs, and format of the datapresented, shall be readily achievable by nonvisual means; (ii) thetechnology equipped for nonvisual access shall be compatible with informationtechnology used by other individuals with whom the blind or visually impairedindividual interacts; (iii) nonvisual access technology shall be integratedinto networks used to share communications among employees, programparticipants, and the public; and (iv) the technology for nonvisual accessshall have the capability of providing equivalent access by nonvisual meansto telecommunications or other interconnected network services used bypersons who are not blind or visually impaired. A covered entity maystipulate additional specifications in any procurement.

Compliance with the nonvisual access standards shall not be required if thehead of a covered entity determines that (i) the information technology isnot available with nonvisual access because the essential elements of theinformation technology are visual and (ii) nonvisual equivalence is notavailable.

(1999, cc. 769, 773, § 2.1-810; 2001, c. 844.)