Procurement of Accessible Technology

Procurement and Accessibility

SUNY Delhi’s Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Procurement Review process is part of our commitment to insure that resources and tools on campus are accessible, usable, and an integrated experience for all people. SUNY requires that all purchases of Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) products meet SUNY EIT standards, WCAG 2.0 standards, and accessibility requirements of Section 508 Rehabilitation Act.

Our EIT Procurement Review is intended to evaluate purchases for accessibility impact, compliance, and feasibility. The review process includes; in house testing, assessment, vetting of exceptions, and the creation of accommodations where possible and appropriate.

The Review Process Steps

Familiarize yourself with the review process.
Gather accessibility product information and vendor contact information (see below).
Submit request including VPAT all documentation using the EIT Purchase Request Form.
EIT committee reviews request and works collaboratively with requestor to insure that solution meets campus accessibility standards.

How to begin – gathering accessibility product information

When you identify web-based products or software to purchase, you will want to locate their accessibility statement and ask vendors to explain the accessibility of their products.

Ask, Document, Collect

When possible find a vendor contact and discuss the accessibility of their product in as much detail as possible. Questions to ask:

Is the technology (or use the word software?) accessible, or is there a timeframe and plan to make it accessible?
How does the vendor test for accessibility?
Ask what their accessibility roadmap looks like for their products that addresses fixing known issues.
Do they have a current and complete VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) outlining their accessibility compliance to WCAG and/or 508 standards?
Do they include accessibility assurances in the purchase agreements?
Document your sense of vendor commitment to conforming to WCAG standards and improving the accessibility of their product.

In addition to understanding the accessibility of the software you are looking to purchase, it is helpful to review comparable products for functionality and accessibility.

You will want to determine if there are any comparable products that are currently accessible in addition to the product you are considering. As part of the review process we will want to know the list of products you have reviewed, and why they would or wouldn’t be able to be suitable for your intended goals.