California has been moving toward more digital accessibility.
In 2015, the state auditor pushed for website accessibility, to which the state responded with AB 434, requiring all state sites to display seals of accessibility.
And recently, the California Department of Technology released a Request for Information, gathering a list of vendors to assist in the process.
The state Department of Education has worked internally to make sites, information and communication technology-compliant.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson began the efforts, and CIO Kevin Matsuo is responsible for maintaining the system. Web Services Unit member Clayton Silva, who works under Matsuo and helps maintain the system updates, told Techwire: "CDE established a lead for ICT Accessibility and Compliance; formed an ICT Governance Committee empowered to adjudicate complex cases; and revised its contract language and standards to match the new requirements. To stay current with statewide accessibility initiatives, a contingent of CDE technology staff participate in California's Digital Web Services Network."
The department also began training all its staff using a multi-pronged approach.
Some staff were trained early, with the idea that they could answer basic questions for others. For information and communications technology, like PDFs, email and Word documents, the CDE borrowed trainers from the state Department of Rehabilitation, which has its own document training program. Supplemental training, such as attendance at assistive technology conferences, was also included.
The department has also begun using built-in systems such as SortSite and CommonLook to check accessibility and manual evaluation.
