36 CFR Part 1194 - Proposed Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Standards and Guidelines NPRM - Preamble

3. Baseline Compliance Costs

The total costs that federal agencies, vendors, and contractors incur to comply with the current 508 Standards are estimated at $2.0 billion annually. This amount represents about 2 percent of annual ICT spending, which is estimated at $80 billion to $120 billion, depending on which products and services are included in the total. Baseline costs for telecommunications equipment manufacturers to conform to the current 255 Guidelines related to product documentation and user support are estimated at $114 million annually. Taken all together, the overall baseline compliance costs are therefore estimated at $2.1 billion annually.