Section 508 exemption extended

<FONT SIZE=1>&#009;IT vendors will have until Oct. 1, 2004, to ensure government purchasers of products under $2,500 can buy goods that meet Section 508 technical standards. </FONT>

IT vendors will have until Oct. 1, 2004, to ensure government purchasers of products under $2,500 can buy goods that meet Section 508 technical standards.

An interim rule published Dec. 31 in the Federal Register extended the micropurchase exemption. Comments on the rule should be sent via e-mail to farcase.2002-012@gsa.gov by March 3.

The standards are designed to provide equal technology access for people with disabilities who work for the government or use government Web sites. Many products are not labeled with accessibility information, making it difficult to identify products meeting the standards, GSA said.

Industry experts said the standards' complexity makes it difficult to include accessibility information on packaging.

 

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