As a result, she said, the company s Momentum financial management software, used by 20 federal agencies, needed only minor changes after the standards were finalized. We felt it is our responsibility to be first to market to deliver, Brown said. Because the federal government is one of the world s largest purchasers of IT products and services, vendors such as AMS have a vested interest in making their products accessible. Va. Accessibility is also the right thing to do, said Craig Luigart, chief information officer of the Education Department. The rules are good for our work force, business and the nation, Luigart said.
Business needs disabled workers.
It s good for business and not very painful. The legislation also will help millions of temporarily disabled people and the elderly, who may also need assistance using IT products, said government and industry representatives who worked on the standards. That s because the IT products developed for compliance with federal standards will be sold and deployed in the private sector, too. All of society will benefit, Cleland said. Industry isn t going to create a separate product for government and one for everyone else.