Procurement

Before purchasing electronic products or services, it’s helpful to request information from vendors to determine how familiar they are with established accessibility standards and how they approach accessibility in their product development.

To understand how a product conforms with established accessibility standards, you should request a Voluntary Product Accessibility Report (VPAT) from a vendor prior to purchase. Our office is available to provide feedback and recommendations based on the vendor’s documentation.

Ask vendors to provide the following:

• Information or formal documentation (VPAT, Accessibility Conformance Report, etc.) about how the current product version conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0), Level A and Level AA standard. Formal documentation is expected to be dated within the past 12 months.
• Contact information for the designated representative at the company to address issues, questions, or the resolution of accessibility barriers in the application.
• Description of the types of automated and manual accessibility testing procedures that are conducted as part of the software development lifecycle, including any specific tools and/or assistive technologies used.

When conducting a Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Information (RFI), be sure to ask accessibility questions to obtain information about the level of digital accessibility maturity of a potential supplier, developer, or contractor. This information can be helpful in determining how responsive the supplier may be regarding the accessibility of their digital products or services (e.g., websites, web-based applications, design services, mobile apps, or other electronic content).

1. Please describe how your product meets or exceeds the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0), Level A and Level AA standard. If applicable, please include current documentation (e.g., VPAT, Accessibility Conformance Report, third-party evaluation, etc.) regarding the current level of conformance with these standards.
2. Who is the designated accessibility representative at your company to address issues or questions about accessibility issues? Please include all relevant contact information, including name, title, email address, and phone number. 
3. Please describe the process when a digital accessibility issue is reported. How do you triage, track, and respond to such reported issues?
4. Please describe how accessibility is supported during product development and quality assurance testing so as to ensure the equivalent ease of use for individuals with disabilities. Describe any automated and manual accessibility testing procedures you follow, including any tools and/or assistive technologies used.
5. What training and experience do the technical teams have in creating products and/or services that are accessible to individuals with disabilities? Is accessibility training or support updated on a regular basis for internal teams?

Interpreting Responses

The Office of Digital Accessibility is available to provide additional support and guidance when reviewing responses from suppliers, vendors, and contractors. Please reach out and schedule an Accessibility Office Hours meeting or submit a general request for assistance.