Accessibility and the Buying Process
Please visit the OHIO Technology Review page for complete requirements for purchasing IT services or products. Accessibility is part of the full review process and there are a few things you can do and that OIT can help you with when considering a product or service:
- Solicit accessibility information. Ohio University bidders and vendors shall be required to demonstrate that information technology provided to Ohio University conforms to or addresses each of the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA success criteria whenever this is possible. Vendors may do so by providing any of the following:
- An independent third party evaluation from a qualified accessibility professional
- An up to date (not older than 2 years) Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). If a VPAT is used, the vendor must use the VPAT Version 2 template, which is based on WCAG 2.1 Level AA .
- Validate accessibility information received. Wherever practicable, OIT's digital accessibility staff, or other qualified staff with expertise in digital accessibility, will attempt to validate the information provided by bidders and vendors, by
- obtaining additional information from the bidder or vendor to develop a complete and thorough understanding of the accessibility of the product or service;
- consulting with independent third parties who have evaluated the product or service for accessibility; or
- conducting an internal evaluation of the accessibility of the product or service
- Include accessibility assurances in contracts. The following contractual language should be inserted in contracts for the procurement of websites, web applications, software systems, electronic documents, e-learning, multimedia and programmable user interfaces wherever practicable:
- Contractor acknowledges and understands that its software is being licensed by Customer to be provided to its students. Contractor acknowledges and understands that as a public institution of higher education that receives federal funding, Customer is required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq. and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 29 USC 701 et. Seq. Contractor agrees that its software will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq. and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, 29 USC 701 et seq. as those laws apply to Customer, will be accessible to individuals with disabilities, and will meet current Ohio University Digital Content Accessibility Guidelines. Contractor agrees that failure to provide an accessible product is a breach of Agreement. Contractor acknowledges that certain services will not be ADA accessible until [DATE] and that Service Provider has committed to accessibility in their [DATE] version. Service Provider agrees that failure to provide an accessible product is a breach of this agreement beginning [DATE].