Overall Performance Category Findings and Recommendations: Low Maturity Categories

Low Maturity - Very Low Conformance

Highlighted Category Statistics:

• 92% of reporting entities in this category sometimes include accessibility requirements in acquisitions, while only 2 of 25 reporting entities (8%) rarely or do not include accessibility requirements in acquisitions .
• Only 1 of 25 (4%) of reporting entities in this bracket said Section 508 requirements are rarely or never included as a technical evaluation factor in acquisitions, while 96% said these requirements are sometimes included .
• Only 1 out of 25 of reporting entities (4%) said they test intranet pages while over 50% do not monitor internet pages .
• Almost all reporting entities said they did not have resources to test the web pages, electronic documents, and videos requested in the conformance section of the Assessment.
• 7 of 25 of reporting entities (28%) said they did not have a website accessibility statement on their site .

Overall Recommendations:

Reporting entities in the Low-Very Low category performed relatively well with respect to the Acquisitions and Procurement and the Technology Lifecycle Activities maturity dimensions. Reporting entities can still improve in these areas but are best served focusing on training and human capital considerations in order to improve overall performance with maturity. Given their conformance responses, GSA recommends investing in qualified testing support to improve overall performance.

Low Maturity - Low Conformance

Highlighted Category Statistics:

• 35 of 39 of entities in this category (about 90%) reported that Section 508 requirements are sometimes included in solicitations, while only 10% said they are rarely or never included.</li>

• Only 3 of 39 (8%) reporting entities have a Section 508 training plan that identifies training needs and training curriculum for some ICT roles and responsibilities. The other 92% either have a general non-targeted Section 508 training plan or no formal plan at all.</li>

• About a third of the reporting entities indicated they test for intranet overall, and a majority said they did not have resources to test the web pages, electronic documents, and videos requested in the conformance section of the Assessment. For example, 28 of 39 (approximately 72%) said they did not have the resources to test documents.</li>

Overall Recommendations:

Overall, reporting entities that fall into the Low-Low category have relatively low maturity levels across all dimensions. However, no one dimension stands out as either significantly high or low with respect to the others. Reporting entities in this category should push for incremental changes in all accessibility maturity areas to ensure improved reporting entity overall performance. Furthermore, varying degrees of conformance and ability to test for conformance suggests additional resourcing and incremental improvements in testing capabilities are also necessary to improve overall performance for those in this category.

Low Maturity - Moderate Conformance

Highlighted Category Statistics:

• Only one of the reporting entities in this bracket (8%) has a plan or timetable for including Section 508 conformance metrics in ICT-related leadership and management performance plans. All other reporting entities in this bracket (92%) do not and have no plans for including these metrics in performance plans.

• Half of the reporting entities in this bracket sometimes distribute ICT accessibility-related communications, typically in an ad hoc manner, while the other half do not distribute ICT accessibility-related communications .

• Only 4 reporting entities (33%) reported full conformance of documents.

• 6 reporting entities (50%) said they widely test internet web pages and reported 90% or greater conformance.

Overall Recommendations:

Reporting entities in the Low-Moderate category underperformed in the Human Capital, Culture, and Leadership dimension compared to others at the same maturity level. Focusing on these considerations and training efforts may improve maturity and overall performance. Also, since a majority of reporting entities responded “unknown” to the product-related accessibility questions (i.e., conformance of Time and Attendance system), these entities should increase their communication and transparency across various lines of business.

Low Maturity - High Conformance

Highlighted Category Statistics:

• 2 of 3 reporting entities in this bracket (67%) said their Section 508 PM or equivalent possesses expertise in the field of ICT accessibility, while one respondent has a defined Section 508 role, the employee does not yet have the necessary specialized accessibility training required .

• All reporting entities in this bracket said they only sometimes distribute formal communications about ICT accessibility, and communications are typically ad hoc.

• Of the top 10 internet pages tested, 2 of the 3 respondents (67%) reported 50% or less conformance.

Overall Recommendations:

Reporting entities in the Low-High category had several maturity dimensions higher than their peers (of similar maturity), and some other relatively lower scores, including acquisitions and procurement. Reporting entities should focus on improving accessibility communications, training, acquisitions and procurement, and human capital considerations to improve overall performance.

Low Maturity - Very High Conformance

Highlighted Category Statistics:

• Both reporting entities in this category indicated they do not have a formal position or duties assigned to perform the role of a Section 508 PM.

• Both reporting entities in this category said Section 508 conformance is regularly included as a technical evaluation factor in solicitations.

• Both reporting entities in this category do not have a Section 508 training plan or the capacity to provide Section 508 training at all (Q58 and Q60 (See FY23 Data Dictionary (XLSX))).

Overall Recommendations:

Reporting entities in this Low-Very High category had a few standout dimensions with a few below- expected scores . Reporting entities in this category should look to improve their accessibility communications processes. Additionally, although their actual conformance scores were relatively high, their testing maturity was relatively low . We also recommend they invest in their testing infrastructure and processes to ensure repeatability of conformance testing, robustness of testing processes, and overall Section 508 conformance.

Reviewed/Updated: December 2023