The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is not ensuring the IT systems it purchases meet accessibility standards required by law, according to a new report from the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG).
The July 1 report looks at VA’s compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires government information and communications technology (ICT) to be accessible for individuals with disabilities.
The latest IG missive is a follow-up audit to a January 2024 report from the OIG that found areas where VA’s implementation and monitoring of Section 508 requirements could be improved to ensure its websites and IT systems are accessible to all.
The most recent report found that of the 30 IT systems analyzed by the OIG, “VA’s Office of 508 Compliance classified four as compliant and the remaining 26 as noncompliant.”
“Based on that review, the OIG concluded VA officials did not take steps to ensure the sampled information technology systems they procured would meet the accessibility standards required by law,” the report says. “This occurred because VA did not establish a control environment that makes accessibility a priority.”
Specifically, the report notes that VA officials did not validate if the systems complied with Section 508, nor did they submit documentation to the Office of 508 Compliance for approval – which is required by VA policy and Federal regulations.
The OIG explains that many VA employees involved in the procurement process “were unaware of applicable federal and VA requirements because they were not adequately trained, and VA officials did not effectively communicate these requirements.”
“As a result, VA’s procurement process for sampled information technology systems did not allow individuals with disabilities to have full access to the information and services they need,” the watchdog said.
The OIG is making four recommendations, including that the VA adequately train its staff involved with acquiring ICT on Section 508 compliance, as well as updating its handbook to identify roles and responsibilities related to ensuring Section 508 compliance during procurement.
It also is recommending that the VA establish a way to ensure documentation is submitted to the Office of 508 Compliance – and collaborate with that office to develop policies and procedures to ensure VA’s ICT procurements comply with Section 508 requirements.
The VA concurred with all four recommendations and provided an action plan for each.
Notably, VA Chief Technology Officer Charles Worthington told reporters in January and June of last year that the VA has been “intentional” about leveraging accessibility capabilities for VA.gov and the VA: Health & Benefits mobile app.
“The web platforms in VA grew up over decades, and there’s a mixed bag of accessibility,” Worthington said last January.
“I do think we’re doing a pretty good job on our most-used transactions and our most-used pages,” he added. “Every time we move something onto VA.gov, we really make sure that it works well for assistive devices and for a variety of users.”