Procurement

Procurement Methods

When procuring information technology (IT), different procurement methods may apply depending on the conditions of purchase. For competitive procurements, a Request for Proposal (RFP) is often used. During the competitive procurement process, your IT buyer will provide guidance and include an accessibility specialist on the selection committee for feedback on proposals. To determine the best method for procuring IT, contact Procurement and Business Services.

IT Vendor Management

The IT Vendor Management (ITVM) process reviews information technology for conformance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Other areas are also assessed, including security, privacy, support, architecture, networking and procurement. Before purchasing digital tools or services, submit an IT Vendor Management assessment to verify accessibility conformance. Existing solutions, free software and IT that is on an existing state contract may also be submitted for review.

Request an IT Vendor Management Assessment

Accessibility Review Process

During a competitive procurement or IT Vendor Management assessment, an accessibility specialist will assist in reviewing vendor documentation and demonstrations. Details on the accessibility review process are provided below for those who are interested in understanding how Clemson University reviews IT for digital accessibility.

VPAT

A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a free template used by vendors to document conformance to accessibility standards. A completed VPAT is called an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR). These terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

As part of the ITVM assessment or a competitive procurement, an accessibility specialist will request an Accessibility Conformance Report based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. A quality ACR meets the following criteria:

• The ACR is based on an official, recent template: VPAT version 2.4 or higher, provided by the Information Technology Industry Council. ACRs completed by reputable third parties are typically trustworthy.
• The ACR documents conformance for all WCAG 2.1 level A and AA success criteria.
• The ACR is completed according to the instructions. Note that the VPAT provides steps for publishing the ACR, including removing the introductory text and instructions from the template.
• The ACR accurately reflects the product and version being evaluated.
• The ACR provides relevant evaluation methods used.
• The report date is recent. Reports that are older than one year can be unreliable.
• Remarks and explanations provide information relevant to their associated success criteria. Information regarding workarounds and defect tracking is helpful.
• If the solution has multiple forms (i.e., web version, desktop version, mobile app, support documentation), then either the provided ACR clearly covers the results of each form or an ACR for each form is provided.

An ACR is a valuable tool in understanding a product's accessibility. However, verifying its accuracy may require additional review, including a demonstration or internal testing.

Demonstration

During a competitive procurement, the accessibility specialist may request that vendors provide a live accessibility demonstration. Vendors should be able to demonstrate the following for common product workflows:

• Operation using only the keyboard, including a visual focus indicator and logical navigation order
• Operation with a screen reader (i.e., JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver)
• Zooming the text size to 200% without loss of functionality
• A color contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for text and images of text, with the following exceptions: large text should have a 3:1 contrast ratio; decorative text and logotypes have no contrast requirements
• Showing where a user can find accessibility features, settings and support within the application, including contact information for assistance

In lieu of a demonstration, the accessibility specialist may request a demo environment for internal testing.

Roadmap

Vendors must provide a roadmap that addresses known accessibility concerns, including target dates for the remediation of known issues.