Besides identifying the applicable Section 508 provisions, there are additional ways to get a congratulations letter from the GSA about the extent to which your FedBizOpps solicitation considers Section 508. You should include Section 508 in your acceptance criteria and evaluation factors. Evaluations should be based in part on the proposal responsiveness to the identified Section 508 requirements and considerations for accessibility. Potential vendors should be asked to provide evidence of conformance with these requirements through the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or equivalent and supporting documentation. Supplies or services delivered as a result of a solicitation should be accepted based in part on satisfaction of identified Section 508 requirements for accessibility. How can the agency know that the deliverables meet the requirements? Ask for a VPAT with each deliverable. Also, be sure potential vendors are notified of these acceptance criteria.
Next week we will talk about things to avoid in your solicitation.