Digital Accessibility, Procurement, and You
Evaluating digital accessibility as part of a purchasing decision, but not sure where to start? Accessible tools and products reduce legal risk, improve customer experience, and support internal team members. The upcoming ADA Title II deadline in April makes this more pressing for people in education and government and those who procure on their behalf.
Not sure where to start, who to trust, or how to evaluate third-party platforms or accessibility partners? We’re here to help.
Accessibility Platform Digital Procurement
Often, clients tell us accessibility overwhelms them. Frequently, the order to “become accessible” comes from the top down without understanding what that means.
In a nutshell, accessibility means creating a property that is open to everyone and their preferred way of using this property. That means different brains, people with disabilities, and different types of assistive technologies.
By its very nature, this is not a one-and-done process, though there are measurable benchmarks and proof of processes along the way. That’s why we recommend going into accessibility with a progress over perfection mindset.
Ok, But How Do I Evaluate Third-Party Accessibility Platforms?
Avoid tools or platforms that promise instant compliance or rely on overlays. They can make your site more inaccessible or even get you sued. Instead, gradually build accessibility processes until it’s second nature, instead of solving everything at once.
Automated accessibility tools, such as our automatic scanner, while helpful, can only catch a portion of accessibility issues. They’re a great first start and can eliminate some predatory lawsuits from arriving in your inbox. But they don’t replace human testing, lived experience, and actual inclusive design. That’s where manual auditing comes in. Look for a platform that offers automation, manual accessibility auditing, and user testing.
Some questions to consider when evaluating a third-party accessibility platform to procure:
- What WCAG standards do I need to hit? Does this platform offer that?
- Is automation combined with expert review? (i.e., am I relying solely on a computer’s decisions?)
- When I get an error, what then? Do I get guidance, or do I go alone? What is my ideal scenario?
- Do I need a VPAT? WCAG Audit? Will I need to get this separately?
What’s the Deal with VPATs?
VPATs (Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates) are the standard that most procurement teams use. Keep in mind, VPATs are reports, not certifications. However, if you’re using a third-party, they should still be evaluated!
If your organization is looking for its own VPAT, the third-party creating your VPAT should be honest about statuses, have expertise in accessibility, and, ideally, give you a path forward to improve your VPAT. Weak VPATs are vague, use wishy-washy language, and are unclear. (E.g., “Supports with exceptions” but doesn’t state which exceptions.)
If you’re procuring another tool and need to know about its digital accessibility, using a VPAT as a snapshot about their accessibility status is a great place to start.
Avoid inaccurate or misleading VPATs by following:
- Request for an example VPAT or look out for weak VPAT indicators
- Identify which testing methods will be used or were used
- Clarify if your VPAT provider will often provide additional solutions to fix gaps and violations found
- Or check if existing VPATs or accessibility pages include a roadmap or proof of working on violations
Yes, We’re Ready for Your Project!
If your procurement process helps vendors become more accessible, everyone wins: your organization, your users, and the broader digital space.
Accessible Web RAMP offers accessibility solutions from initial violation finding to long-term maintenance and all the tricky bits in between on your way to becoming accessible. We love to meet organizations wherever they are in the accessibility journey, in whatever industry, and whatever size. Go ahead and get in touch or go ahead and try our free 14-day trial if you prefer to try things out independently.
