The Department of Veterans Affairs is not adequately verifying that its purchased IT systems meet federal accessibility standards, according to the Office of Inspector General. An audit found that out of 30 systems, only four were compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, while 26 were not. The OIG noted that it relied on VA's self-reporting instead of independent verification. The VA has not established a control environment that prioritizes accessibility, leading to significant oversight in ensuring compliance with procurement documentation as mandated by federal regulations.
The audit revealed that the Department of Veterans Affairs failed to ensure that IT systems it purchased complied with federal accessibility requirements under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Of the 30 sampled systems, four were deemed compliant while 26 were found to be noncompliant. The watchdog noted it relied on self-reporting by the VA to assess the compliance status, rather than verifying the information directly.
The report emphasized that accessibility must be given priority through establishing a control environment within the Department of Veterans Affairs. It stated that officials neglected to validate if the reviewed IT systems were compliant with Section 508, which indicates a significant oversight in their procurement processes.
#department-of-veterans-affairs #peo-compliance #section-508 #accessibility-requirements #oig-report
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