• MD's Non-Visual Access Policy

MD's Non-Visual Access Policy

The Secretary of the Department of Budget & Management and the Maryland Chief of Information Technology intend that information technology products and services procured or provided by or on behalf of State agencies are accessible to those who are visually impaired. Therefore, it is the policy of the Secretary of the Department of Budget & Management and the Maryland Chief of Information Technology that approved non-visual access standards be used in the procurement of all information technology and the provision of information technology services, except when Maryland law provides otherwise , by or on behalf of non-exempt units of State government.

Non-exempt State agencies shall apply the mandatory standards found in COMAR 17.06.02 to procure information technology and information technology services and to provide non-visual access to information technology and information technology services. As mandated by the Annotated Code of Maryland, the Secretary of the Department of Budget & Management and the Chief of Information Technology, in consultation with the Comptroller, develop and implement standards that ensure the effective and efficient management of information technology resources by the State of Maryland.

By regulation, COMAR 17.06.02, the Chief has promulgated standards by which to determine if information technology and information technology services are non-visually accessible.

Compliance with the standards appearing in COMAR 17.06.02 is mandatory beginning on March 1, 2005 and continuing thereafter for non-exempt units of the Executive Branch.
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The Non-visual Access Clause (COMAR 21.05.08.05) is not new and has been included in Department of Budget and Management budgetary decisions since fiscal year 2002. To read the text of this, please visit http://www.dsd.state.md.us/comar.