The event marked the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Executive Order No. 614 does several things. First, it establishes the accessibility officer position. Second, it creates the Digital Accessibility and Equity Governance Board, which will be chaired by the new position and will include cabinet leaders, disability experts, and residents with lived experience. And third, it calls for the appointment of accessibility officers to represent each executive office.
Jason Snyder, state CIO and secretary of the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (EOTSS), explained that the state will be posting the job opening application this week, and all are encouraged to apply.
“Providing a consistent means of digital accessibility for all is an essential goal,” Snyder stated. “When we build digital services for people with different needs, we build better for everyone.”
As Snyder put it, this position will be responsible for leading the planning and coordination of making all state websites accessible.
Digital services previously offered different outcomes to users based on the application or website they were visiting, leaving inconsistencies that could be improved, he explained
“In conclusion, this executive order will ensure that our websites and applications are accessible for everyone by creating a motivated governance body and associated leadership to maintain steady focus on the issue of digital accessibility,” he said.
Snyder stated that the digital accessibility and equity program will entail ongoing monitoring, support for testing and clearly defining standards to improve digital access.
Julia O’Leary, general counsel at the Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD), stated that accessibility is often perceived in the physical sense, regarding structural accommodations such as wheelchair ramps, but digital accessibility is becoming increasingly critical as more state business moves online — both for state employees and members of the public.
Also noted in the announcement, the state will be launching a public-facing dashboard for increased transparency and accountability.
The Office on Disability has been working with EOTSS since spring 2021 to improve the accessibility of digital offerings, and this executive order will increase this collaboration with EOTSS, the Digital Accessibility and Equity Governance Board, and the newly created position for continued improvements, O’Leary said.
When asked, Healey did not identify a salary range for this position but noted the state is hoping to hire for this position as quickly as possible.
Snyder noted the goal is to have the first meeting in August or September 2023, depending on the timing of the hiring.
During the event, Healey underlined the federal rulemaking proposed yesterday by the U.S. Department of Justice to improve web and mobile access for people with disabilities. A comment period allows input before those new rules go into effect.
Also, yesterday, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., reintroduced legislation to update accessibility regulations so that regulatory guidelines can keep pace with advancing technologies like artificial intelligence.
