Enclosure (10) to COMDTINST 5230.60
SECTION 508 DETERMINATION AND CERTIFICATION FOR ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY (EIT) PURCHASE REQUESTS
TO BE COMPLETED BY THE REQUIRING OFFICIAL (PURCHASE REQUESTOR)
EIT Exemption Certification
The following are exemptions to Access Board requirements for EIT products:
_____(a) EIT products or components of products that would require a fundamental alteration in their nature
to conform to the Section 508 standards.
_____(b) EIT products located in spaces frequented only by service personnel for maintenance,
repair or occasional monitoring.
Note: No certification is required for the micro-purchase (under ,500) exemption. Program
managers and contracting officials must not split a single project into several pieces in order to
fit within the micro-purchase exemption.
A. Fundamental Alteration of EIT.
1. Actions required. The requiring official must check (a) above and provide this completed
document to the procurement office with the purchase request.
2. Further explanation. This exemption applies when compliance with the standards would require
a change in the fundamental characteristics or purpose of the product or service, not merely a
cosmetic or aesthetic change. For example, an agency intends to procure pocket-sized pagers for
law enforcement field agents. Adding a large display to a small pager may fundamentally alter
the device by significantly changing its size to such an extent that it no longer meets the purpose
for which it was intended--that is, to provide a communication device that fits in a shirt or jacket
pocket.
B. EIT located in spaces frequented only by service personnel for maintenance, repair or
occasional monitoring of equipment.
1. Actions required. The requiring official must check (b) above and provide this completed
document to the procurement office with the purchase request.
2. Further explanation. Telecommunications equipment switches, servers, and other similar "back
office" equipment that is used for equipment maintenance and administration functions are
exempt from the standards. For example, in the case of telecommunications equipment,
technicians might need to configure service databases, remove equipment panels to replace
components, or run tests to verify functionality. Where back office equipment is connected to a
computer network that may distribute information located on that equipment to other locations,
the information delivered to other locations is not subject to the "back office" exception. For
instance, if an agency places its network servers or web servers in remote "back office"
locations, web pages or software distributed to other locations are not subject to the "back office"
exception merely because they are located on a remote server. By contrast, maintenance
programs located solely on such "back office" equipment may be subject to the exemption. This
exemption does not apply when a system requires frequent monitoring.
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