Digital Accessibility Procurement Requirements

The IT Approval Process formally includes an accessibility review of all products. This process aims to ensure that all products purchased for the university meet accessibility standards through several key components.

Requestor Responsibilities

Requestor Questionnaire: Upon receiving an IT Approval request, a questionnaire may be sent to gather essential details such as scope, user count, intended use, vendor contact, and justification.

Vendor Responsibilities

Vendor VPAT/ACR Requirement: Vendors will be formally required to submit a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR). This involves initial requests for accessibility documentation, with a provision for exceptions if needed.
Accessibility Roadmap: Vendors shall provide an intended outline for addressing accessibility gaps. This is mandatory if the VPAT shows barriers that are below the approval threshold and will include periodic check-ins with the vendor.

IT Responsibilities

Accessibility Risk Matrix: An internal risk matrix will assess risks related to non-compliant products, informed by VPAT reviews and vendor responses, in collaboration with relevant personnel.
IT Review: IT shall work with the Vendor to review accessibility documentation when appropriate. This includes essential checks for keyboard navigation, contrast, alt text, among other criteria.

Depending on the evaluation, there will be different levels of approval.

Approval: Granted when all criteria are met.
Conditional Approval: Used when a product has gaps, but a roadmap exists. These will require an annual review of the roadmap and risk assessment and are tied to renewal periods.
Exemption Required: Assigned when accessibility risk is too high or documentation is insufficient. In such cases, the requestor must provide a documented business justification, and the division head must grant formal approval before the product can proceed.

Questions?

Please reach out to the Technology Support Center with any additional questions at support@wm.edu or 757-221-HELP.