Using and Procuring Accessible Technology and Materials

This lesson is going to explain how to talk to vendors and publishers about their products and accessibility. 

You have a choice as to how to engage with the material in this lesson. Remember, the key concepts are always addressed in the text. If you need more info or learn by watching, the videos and resources are great supplements.

• Read About It
• Watch a Demo / Video
• Explore Resources on the Web

Accessible Technologies

While this course has focused mainly on how you can create accessible materials, it's time we talk about the other tools and technologies you may use.

It is important to know that vendors and publishers are not required to make content and products accessible. If someone working at a public agency decides to use their product or service, it is the public agency that becomes liable in terms of accessibility. For example, let's say I decide I don't have time to create this training, but I find a company that has designed a similar training on their own platform that I can link to. Well, if their training isn't accessible, it's my fault - I chose to use their product. If an ebook is not accessible to a student, that student isn't going to file a complaint again the publisher. They will file a complaint against the institution for selecting/requiring an inaccessible product.

Unfortunately, this is news to many of us who are not trained to evaluate whether or not a web platform, or ebook, or website is accessible. BUT, there's some silver lining to this lesson: money is power. That is, we can use our purchasing power to pressure vendors to improve the accessibility of their products.

Determining if a Product or Software is Accessible

It is always important to ask vendors, publishers, or sales representatives if their product/site is accessible to people with disabilities. Request documentation or request a demonstration of their accessibility features. If it is not accessible, or if they can't adequately demonstrate how people with disabilities can use their product, ask for their action plan or timeline for making it accessible. By asking, you're telling them that it's important enough to you to influence your decision on whether or not to purchase or use their product.  

Some features are inherently inaccessible, so it's important to keep an eye out for these features and ask if an alternative or accessible format/output is available. These include virtual drawing tools, drag and drop activities, websites that require the user to fill out a CAPTCHA (an audio alternative should be made available for folks that cannot access the distorted text) and timed/auto-advancing content. The best way to think about accessibility when reviewing a product is to think about if and how you could use that tool without a mouse. 

Questions for Publishers and Vendors

If you're looking for information on standards, what to look for when engaging vendors, specific questions to ask, this is an excellent resource that outlines various topics and related questions from a UW-IT ATS Accessibility in Procurement (June 2023) webinar. Links to an external site.

Check out the resources below as well. If you're not in a position to make procurement decisions, I encourage you to reach out to that office and open a conversation with them to find out what processes they have in place to ensure the products and technology coming through their office are accessible. If they don't have a process, share these resources with them. 

VPATs

Many times software and application vendors will provide a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). VPATs are useful if you understand the technical aspects of web content and if you take them with a grain of salt (remember, they are voluntary and there isn't a body overseeing/checking what vendors claim their product can do -- vendors have been known to omit information about accessibility barriers from their VPAT).

If a vendor doesn't have a VPAT, that can be a red flag; they may not be thinking about accessibility. However, it may also mean that they don't intend to sell to the federal government (as VPATs are required for federal procurement). If they do have one, that's a good start, but again, that doesn't mean the product is accessible. Keep reading... 

When a vendor fills out a VPAT they usually note the following next to each compliance criteria: Supports, Supports with Exceptions, Does not Support. If a VPAT has "Supports" filled in for every criteria, be wary. It is highly unlikely that any product is 100% compliant. As such, it's often better to come across a VPAT that has "Supports with Exceptions" and details the cases for each exception (even better if there's a timeline for these exceptions being met). Check out this example excerpt from Instructure's VPAT for Canvas:

View the full Canvas VPAT.

If a vendor does not have a VPAT published, feel free to use this form letter Links to an external site. to request one.

NOTE: VPATs are not given for websites, only software and web applications. 

RFPs & Contracts

If you are going to be releasing a Request For Proposal (RFP) or entering into a contract with a vendor, be sure to add language around accessibility in the RFP and contract.

How to Find a VPAT on a Product's Website (2:46)

A great demo showing how to track down the VPAT for a product.

• Procuring Accessible IT Links to an external site. (from UW DOIT) - UW outlines three steps to help ensure you procure accessible technology.