Someone forward to me this article below from Inside the Pentagon, a private
newsletter about DOD. According to the Annual Report on the Employment of
Minorities, Women and People with Disabilities in the Federal Government For
FY 1997 (Office of Federal Operations, Federal Sector Programs, Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission) Part II -    Employment of People with
Disabilities in the Federal Government
p. 251-300 Table II-4, People with Targeted Disabilities (deaf; blind;
missing extremities; partial paralysis; complete paralysis; convulsive
disorder; mental retardation; mental illness; distortion limbs'spine)
there are 8,734 out of a work force of 726,995 at DOD.

"DOD Wrestles With How To Boost Computer Access For The Disabled

The Defense Department, like all other federal agencies, is still grappling
with a new law intended to lend those with disabilities better access to
electronics and information technology systems -- a measure that could prove
costly for both industry and government. Initial drafts of "Section 508"
requirements drew fire from industry coalitions and some government
officials concerned that overly restrictive language would stymie the
federal procurement process. While generally supportive of the measure, most
of them agree the impact on both industry and government will be profound,
with the Defense Department as no exception. Section 508 of the Workforce
Investment Partnership Act of 1998 mandates federal agencies purchase only
systems that afford those with disabilities reasonable access. In general, a
system is considered accessible if it does not depend on a single sense or
ability to acquire data. For example, a Web site with graphics must be
accompanied by explanatory text; this way a blind person can install
software that reads the text aloud. The provision amends the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, which was passed to improve employment and other opportunities
for people with disabilities. Almost 30 years later, IT systems are now
crucial tools in obtaining government data. Accordingly, Congress passed
Section 508, which allows citizens to sue federal agencies who do not comply
with technical standards. After significant input from government officials
and industry groups, the White House on April 25 published the final
standards in the Federal Register. The ruling becomes effective June 21.
The recent ruling exempts systems that would impose an "undue burden" on a
federal agency, as well as all national security systems. National security
systems are those used for "military command, weaponry, intelligence and
cryptologic activities," according to a fact sheet provided by the Access
Board, a federal council advocating services for people with disabilities.
For example, "a computer designed to provide early missile-launch detection
would not be subject to the Section 508 standards, nor would administrative
or business systems that must be architecturally tightly coupled with a
mission critical, national security system to ensure interoperability and
mission accomplishment," the final rule states. This exemption does not
apply to "routine business and administrative systems used for other
defense-related purposes or by defense agencies or personnel," the board
states, comparing the law to the 1996 Clinger-Cohen Act, which required
federal agencies to exert more oversight of IT acquisitions. Clinger-Cohen
also exempts national security systems, but compliance became a challenge
for the military in part because of the vast number of IT systems the
Defense Department must track, according to past audits reports. Payroll,
finance, logistics, personnel management and other administrative
applications are not exempt from Clinger-Cohen or Section 508 compliance and
DOD's investment in these systems are significant. Section's 508's "undue
burden" clause is defined to exempt systems that would comply only after
"significant difficulty or expense." Any federal agency claiming this
exemption, however, must still provide people with disabilities access to
that information.
DOD spokeswoman Susan Hansen said the Pentagon staff is not ready to conduct
interviews on the subject, but did offer that officials anticipate
compliance costs to be "significant, but not overwhelming."
"In addition to the increased cost of IT, DOD faces the costs associated
with training procurement personnel, software developers, Webmasters, etc.,
and the cost of testing tools to ensure that Web sites and software are
compliant," she stated in a written response to questions posed by Inside
the Pentagon. A dollar figure estimating these additional costs are not yet
available, she said. "We anticipate that industry will pass the increased
cost of developing and producing Section 508 compliant hardware and software
to the customer," Hansen said. Olga Grkavac, the executive vice president
for the Information Technology Association of America, said federal agencies
are not alone in being unsure how Section 508 might impact future IT
procurements. Companies are rethinking how they will approach government
sales, and because some of the technologies that will enable people with
disabilities in the future are still being developed, both government and
industry are bracing for a long adjustment period. DOD recently announced
plans to hold a conference on Section 508 compliance, inviting
representatives from various Pentagon components, including the Joint Staff
and DOD agencies, to attend. The office of the assistant secretary of
defense for command, control, communications and intelligence will host the
June 6 meeting at the National Defense University in Washington, DC.
According to a conference announcement, the meeting aims to "promote a
better understanding of what 'accessibility' means for DOD [electronics and
IT systems] and focus on how DOD should plan and implement actions that will
provide access to information technology as required by Section 508." Arthur
Money, then Pentagon Chief Information Officer and OASD(C3I) director,
issued a memo in the summer of 2000 warning DOD components of the upcoming
law, indicating that compliance could be a challenge. "As DOD currently has
tens of thousands of Web pages with more being added daily, accessibility is
a significant requirement that will need to be addressed over time," Money
stated in a July 20 memo. "However, the department must show an immediate
and continuing 'good faith' effort to comply with Section 508."
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