TO:
Agency Chief Information Officers (AIO)
Agency Information Security Officers (AISO)
Chief Information Officers (CIO)
Information Security Officers (ISO)
SUBJECT:
SIMM 25 – Information Technology Web Accessibility Resource Guide and Certification
BACKGROUND:
Assembly Bill (AB) 434, chaptered in 2017, added Section 11546.7 to the California Government Code (GC). This section requires the Director and Chief Information Officer of every Agency/state entity to display a signed certification on their internet website’s homepage, stating that the website is compliant with Sections 7405 and 11135, as well as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.0, or any subsequent version with a minimum of Level AA success criteria. The first certification must be posted before July 1, 2019, and biennially thereafter, on or before July 1.
State Information Management Manual (SIMM) 25A IT Accessibility Resource Guide and SIMM 25B Web Accessibility Certification have been updated to align with the WCAG version 2.1, which includes new guidelines that address some of the gaps in the previous version, making it easier for people with disabilities to access and use digital content. The updated SIMM 25A and SIMM 25B will help agencies and organizations in California ensure that their digital content meets the latest accessibility standards.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this Procedures/Standards update is to announce:
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- SIMM 25, IT Accessibility Resource Guide, has been updated to align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1). It is renumbered to SIMM 25A.
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- SIMM 25A, IT Accessibility Certification for Delegated Projects, has been retired.
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- SIMM 25B, Web Accessibility Certification, has been updated to align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1).
REFERENCES:
The SIMM 25 documents are available on the CDT website located at Policy – SIMM. Additional references related to this release include:
QUESTIONS:
Direct questions regarding this announcement to the CDT, Statewide Information Technology (IT) Policy Office at ITpolicy@state.ca.gov.