- Ask the vendor for a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) external link or an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) which evaluates a product according to widely accepted accessibility standards.
- Ask if the vendor is using VPAT 2.3 external link, which is up to date with the technical requirements of WCAG 2.1
- Ask if the vendor has worked with any third parties to have the products tested for accessibility. If so, request the test reports.
- Ask if the vendor/company ever had its website, application(s) and other products tested for accessibility external link, including manual and functional tests performed by a 3rd party or people who have disabilities.
- Ask if your company WCAG 2.1 compliant? If so, to what level?
Purchase Orders and Contracts
Purchase Order and contracts for EIT must include the following clause:
“Contractor agrees that no institutional funds may be expended for the purchase of EIT including, but not limited to content, software, hardware, and services for use by employees, program participants, or members of the public unless it provides equal and effective access to all individuals in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations, including, but not limited to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Section 508 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act.”
RFPs (Request for Proposals)
The following language is necessary to include in RFPs:
“Please confirm in this proposal that the product/service conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 (minimum Level AA conformance), or the most recent WCAG guidelines, whichever is the current standard, and describe how this compliance have been verified by providing a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) and written description of compatibility of the product/service with commonly used assistive technology products, such as screen readers, and a description of the process used to evaluate such compatibility.”
In some cases, a fully compliant EIT is not available. In this case, RFPs should include the following language:
“Please include in any proposal that the product/service conforms to the guidelines for accessibility as set forth in Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 (minimum Level AA conformance) or the most recent WCAG guidelines, whichever is the current standard. If the product/service is not in compliance, please describe plans and a timeframe for achieving compliance by providing a VPAT and written description of compatibility of the product/service with commonly used assistive technology products, such as screen readers, and a description of the process used to evaluate such compatibility. A vendor providing electronic information and technology products or services to CSCU is required to promptly respond to and resolve any complaint regarding the accessibility of its platform.”