Technology Procurements
- Individuals or departments interested in procuring digital resources should consider accessibility from the earliest stages of the procurement process.
- When speaking with vendors, ask for documentation of accessibility conformance, such as a current Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) created from a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template). Submit these materials with your purchase requisition for review.
- Provide detailed information about intended usage, including target users, number of users, length of use, and functional purpose of the website, platform, or app.
- Allow additional time for internal accessibility review, contract negotiations, and WCAG 2.2 conformance testing if required.
- The department or individual initiating the procurement is responsible for all policies and procedures related to purchasing and procurement at the University.
Courseware and Digital Textbooks
All learning resources required for use in University programs, courses, and activities are subject to the ADA Title II regulations. This includes courseware and course-specific learning platforms, exam administration platforms, electronic textbooks, and more. Faculty must ensure these resources conform to WCAG 2.2, Level AA before requiring their purchase and deployment in a course. Please contact the Digital Accessibility Team for questions and consultation.
Free Digital Resources
Third-party apps, web platforms, and other Open Educational Resources available for free may not conform with WCAG 2.2, Level AA and have accessibility issues that will impact users with disabilities. It is the responsibility of the procuring individual or department to evaluate the accessibility of these resources prior to deployment.