Memorandum

To: Assistant Secretaries

Heads of Bureaus and Offices

From: Michael J. Howell

Chief Information Officer

Subject: Release of New Section 508 Awareness Computer-Based Training
(CBT)

# **Purpose**

# 

Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 directs all Federal
agencies that are developing, procuring, maintaining, or using
Electronic and Information Technology (E&IT) to ensure that this
technology is accessible to employees and members of the public. To
facilitate this requirement, Department of Interior (DOI) personnel
involved in the acquisition process of E&IT are required to complete the
training titled, "Section 508 Awareness" no later than September 30,
2008.

# **Background:**

On November 6, 2007, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a
memorandum reminding Chief Acquisition Officers (CAOs) and Chief
Information Officers (CIOs) of their collaborative roles in the area of
Section 508 and to suggest activities and tools to help agencies fulfill
their responsibilities in implementing the law. Specifically, CAOs and
CIOs were reminded to review their procurement and information
technology acquisition policies and procedures to validate that Section
508 standards are appropriately considered and clearly stated in
solicitation documents (Attachment 1).

The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) has released a new
CBT module on Section 508 Awareness. The OCIO developed this standard
Department-wide course, which is available through DOI LEARN, the
Department's enterprise-wide learning management system.

Completion of this training module will educate DOI employees on the
importance of developing, procuring, maintaining, or using accessible
E&IT. Through its training initiatives, DOI will meet the statutory
Section 508 requirements and will assume a best practice and leadership
role in this arena.

# **Scope:**

This memorandum applies specifically to CIOs, Chief Financial Officers
(CFOs), Section 508 Coordinators, Contracting Officers, Contracting
Officers Technical Representatives (COTRs), Acquisition Managers, Human
Resources Representatives, Information Technology (IT) Managers,
Training Managers, Scientists, employees and contractors involved in the
acquisition process, and other DOI employees as deemed necessary by
management.

# 

# **Due Dates:**

Given the importance of this training, we are requesting that the
aforementioned individuals comply with this requirement no later than
September 30, 2008, in order to ensure the acquisition of accessible
E&IT before the beginning of FY 2009.

Completion of the CBT should take approximately one hour. The training
is provided online via the DOI LEARN system for those individuals with
Internet access. The training is provided via the Intranet and CDs for
those individuals without Internet access. Bureau/Office Section 508
Coordinators are responsible for working with their respective DOI LEARN
Managers to track completion percentages and to modify the scope of
bureau/office personnel required to complete this training.

# 

# **Contacts:**

If you have any questions concerning this memorandum, please contact Sid
Sharma at (202) 219-0963 or your bureau/office Section 508 coordinator
(Attachment 2). Staff may also contact their bureau/office DOI LEARN
Manager (Attachment 3). Technical issues related to DOI LEARN or the
course can be directed to the DOI LEARN help desk via email at
[doilearn@golearning.com](mailto:govsupport@golearning.com) or by phone
at (866) 466-1998.

Attachment 1 -- November 6, 2007 OMB Memorandum

Attachment 2 -- Bureau/Office Section 508 Coordinator Contact List

Attachment 3 -- Bureau/Office DOI LEARN MANAGER Contact List

cc: Departmental Chief Information Officers

Attachment 3

+-----------+-----------------+-------------+--------------------------+
| **Bureau  |                 |             |                          |
| DOI LEARN |                 |             |                          |
| Points of |                 |             |                          |
| Contact** |                 |             |                          |
+-----------+-----------------+-------------+--------------------------+
| **[Bur    | **DOI LEARN     | *           | **[e-mail]{.underline}** |
| eau]{.und | [Point of       | *[Phone]{.u |                          |
| erline}** | Contact         | nderline}** |                          |
|           | ]{.underline}** |             |                          |
+-----------+-----------------+-------------+--------------------------+
| FWS       | Pat Houghton    | 3           | Pat_Houghton@fws.gov     |
|           |                 | 04-876-7267 |                          |
+-----------+-----------------+-------------+--------------------------+
| BLM       | Catherine Book  | 6           | Catherine_Book@blm.gov   |
|           |                 | 02-906-5550 |                          |
+-----------+-----------------+-------------+--------------------------+
| USGS      | Melanie Hood    | 3           | mkhood@usgs.gov          |
|           |                 | 03-445-4681 |                          |
+-----------+-----------------+-------------+--------------------------+
| OSM       | Judith Blowe    | 2           | jblowe@osmre.gov         |
|           |                 | 02-208-2552 |                          |
+-----------+-----------------+-------------+--------------------------+
| OS        | Barbara Evans   | 2           | B                        |
|           |                 | 02-208-7274 | arbara_Evans@ios.doi.gov |
+-----------+-----------------+-------------+--------------------------+
| MMS       | Linda Shearer   | 7           | Linda.Shearer@mms.gov    |
|           |                 | 03-787-1060 |                          |
+-----------+-----------------+-------------+--------------------------+
| BOR       | Monica          | 3           | mrodriguez@do.usbr.gov   |
|           | Rodriguez       | 03-445-2589 |                          |
+-----------+-----------------+-------------+--------------------------+
| NPS       | Rich Arnold     | 3           | Richard_Arnold@nps.gov   |
|           |                 | 03-969-2726 |                          |
+-----------+-----------------+-------------+--------------------------+
| BIA/BIE   | Patti MacLeod   | 2           | Patti MacLeod            |
|           |                 | 02-208-2893 |                          |
|           |                 |             | Fax:  202-219-2432       |
+-----------+-----------------+-------------+--------------------------+
| OST       | Thomas Bird     | 5           | Fax:  505-816-1375       |
|           | Bear            | 05-816-1322 |                          |
+-----------+-----------------+-------------+--------------------------+
| NBC       | Robert Veltkamp | 2           | R                        |
|           |                 | 02-208-3441 | obert_J_Veltkamp@nbc.gov |
+-----------+-----------------+-------------+--------------------------+