EIR Accessibility Requirements, Exceptions, and Exemptions

Requirements 

State agencies and institutions of higher education are required to comply with Texas EIR Accessibility statutes and rules to provide accessibility. 

• TGC 2054.457, enacted in 2005, requires that all state agencies and institutions of higher education, provide state employees and members of the public access to and use of electronic information resources. 

• 1 TAC 206, aligns state web accessibility standards with the federal regulations set forth in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

• 1 TAC 213 enacted state standards for procurement, development, or usage of EIR for people with disabilities and also aligns accessibility standards with the federal regulations set forth in Section 508. 

Exceptions 

State agencies and higher education institutions are responsible for: 

• Determining whether compliance with a provision of EIR accessibility law or administrative rules imposes a significant difficulty or expense on the agency or institution 

• Obtaining an exception from the head of the agency or institution if compliance imposes a significant difficulty or expense 

• Providing individuals with disabilities an alternate method of access if an exception is determined by the head of the agency or institution 

Review 1 TAC 213 for more information on Accessibility Exceptions. 

Download the customizable exemption template: EIR Accessibility Exception Request template. 

Exemptions 

EIR Accessibility Exemptions can only be made by DIR. The following EIR currently has an exemption file for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Software. 

State agencies and higher education institutions should submit any request for consideration of a statewide exemption to the Statewide Digital Accessibility Program Administrator.