A. The technology access clause specified in clause (iii) of § 2.2-3502 shall be developed by the Secretary of Technology and shall require compliance with the nonvisual access standards established in subsection B of this section. The clause shall be included in all future contracts for the procurement of information technology by, or for the use of, entities covered by this chapter 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 (including the operating system), applications programs, and format of the data presented, shall be readily achievable by nonvisual means; (ii) the technology equipped for nonvisual access shall be compatible with information technology used by other individuals with whom the blind or visually impaired individual interacts; (iii) nonvisual access technology shall be integrated into networks used to share communications among employees, program participants, and the public; and (iv) the technology for nonvisual access shall have the capability of providing equivalent access by nonvisual means to telecommunications or other interconnected network services used by persons who are not blind or visually impaired. A covered entity may stipulate additional specifications in any procurement.
Compliance with the nonvisual access standards shall not be required if the head of a covered entity determines that (i) the information technology is not available with nonvisual access because the essential elements of the information technology are visual and (ii) nonvisual equivalence is not available.
1999, cc. 769, 773, § 2.1-810; 2001, c. 844.