Digital Accessibility Office Logo-Home

Vendor Management and Procurement

When procuring digital content and technology, it’s crucial to include accessibility terms in contracts, request and review Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs), and ensure vendors provide updated accessibility documentation. Embedding accessibility into the procurement process promotes inclusivity and ensures compliance with relevant laws and policies. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Sections 504 & 508), and UNC policy outline the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 or 2.2) as the minimum accessibility standards we must meet.

Explore this page to learn about accessibility requirements, review customer and vendor responsibilities, understand the structure of VPATs, find an example VPAT request, and access helpful resources.

Examples of digital material

  • Websites
  • Video and audio content
  • Electronic documents
  • Desktop, mobile and cloud-based software applications
  • Content management systems and learning management systems
  • Interactive tools and platforms
  • Library resources
  • Digital research products
  • Digital content and materials used in a course

UNC customer responsibilities

Start your search for new technology with accessibility in mind. Vendors committed to accessibility will have documentation like VPATs or accessibility statements. Also, they should be able to readily answer questions about accessibility, including examples of work done to address any known issues.

Per the UNC Digital Accessibility Standard on Procurement, university units must attempt to obtain a VPAT when purchasing products. A VPAT provides you with a method to review an application or software for accessibility features or barriers. Some companies will use the phrase Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) for a filled out VPAT.

If no VPAT is provided by the vendor, or you have questions about the VPAT, submit a Digital Accessibility Office (DAO) Procurement Support Service Request.

We have regularly scheduled trainings on VPATs & Procurement, or you can submit a Procurement Support Service Request for a consultation.

UNC’s Terms and Conditions for Procurement of Information Technology Products, Software, and Services include accessibility provisions to ensure products and services comply with ADA and UNC requirements. University units must confirm that vendor contracts include language holding them accountable for maintaining accessibility, particularly as products are updated or new versions are released. This requirement applies to purchases of $5,000 or more with an intended user base of 100 or more. The DAO is available to assist with facilitating these discussions upon request.

Vendors often comply once they understand what is needed, so engage with them to explain the specific requirements and their importance. Noncompliance may delay contract negotiations, so review your responsibilities and contact the DAO early in the process for support and guidance.

There are times when the DAO will deny a purchase if the vendor does not comply with accessibility requirements or participate in remediation discussions.

Services, such as website contracting, may not require the UNC IT Terms and Conditions. In such cases, the UNC customer must ensure that the vendor provides written confirmation that their deliverables will meet WCAG 2.2 standards or have a plan for achieving compliance by a specified date.

Some technology products are exempt from the Accessibility Standards for Procurement of Digital Content, Resources, and Technology due to minimal use, fundamental alteration, or undue burden. Each exception requires DAO approval possibly an Equally Effective Alternative.

Vendor responsibilities

Vendors must provide a complete an up-to-date VPAT annually. We require the newest versions of either the 508 or WCAG found on the ITI VPAT website.

The VPAT should include:

  • Title page: Product name, version, date, contact info, and evaluation methods.
  • Table 1: Success Criteria, Level A
  • Table 2: Success Criteria, Level AA
  • Include if using the 508 version:
    • Chapter 3: Functional Performance Criteria
    • Chapter 5: Software
    • Chapter 6: Support Documentation and Services

If your product has significant accessibility barriers, include an accessibility statement detailing these barriers. This helps users understand and work around issues.

An accessibility roadmap should outline:

  • Description of the barrier
  • Existing workarounds or solutions
  • Current status for remediation (planned, deferred, etc.)
  • Timeline for resolution

Be prepared to answer:

  • How is accessibility integrated into your development process?
  • Does your company have an accessibility training program for developers?
  • What tools are used for accessibility testing?

Demonstrate the Following Actions

  • Navigate to the product’s Accessibility Statement link and show how users can find accessibility information and support
  • Operate the interface with the keyboard only
  • Show a well-defined keyboard visual focus
  • Increase text size to 200% without losing content or functionality
  • Ensure color contrast meets a ratio of at least 4.5:1
  • Demonstrate screen reader compatibility

UNC Chapel Hill’s IT Terms and Conditions contracts include default accessibility provisions to ensure products and services meet ADA and UNC requirements.

If you have questions, you are welcome to contact our office to help ensure your accessibility strategy aligns with required standards and expectations.

For services not covered by the UNC IT Terms and Conditions, we require written confirmation that your deliverables will meet WCAG 2.2 standards or have a plan for achieving compliance by a specified date.

If you have questions, you are welcome to contact our office to help ensure your accessibility strategy aligns with required standards and expectations.

VPAT structure

VPAT section 1

In the first section of any VPAT, the vendor is asked to provide some basic information:

  • Name and description of product/version
  • Contact information
  • Evaluation methods used
  • Applicable standards/guidelines
  • Date

VPAT section 2

The next major area is the WCAG 2.x Report. Each section has a Criteria, Conformance Level, and Remarks and Explanations section.

The Criteria column is mapped to the WCAG requirement. This is to reduce ambiguity for the vendor when mapping these older standards to WCAG.

Within Conformance Level, the template breaks down the components that might up a product. It is at the vendor’s discretion to use one of the following conformance levels on all components that apply:

  • Supports: The functionality of the product has at least one method that meets the criterion without known defects or meets with equivalent facilitation.
  • Supports with Exceptions: Some functionality of the product does not meet the criterion.
  • Does Not Support: The majority of product functionality does not meet the criterion.
  • Not Applicable: The criterion is not relevant to the product.
  • Not Evaluated: The product has not been evaluated against the criterion. This can be used only in WCAG 2.0 Level AAA.

Remarks and Explanations attempt to further tighten reporting.

Example VPAT request

Hello,

UNC policy on Digital Content, Resources, and Technology requires compliance with Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure equal access and opportunity for all constituents. Accordingly, we request that all digital content, resource, and technology providers adhere to Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, as published by the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative.

We ask that you submit documentation of WCAG conformance in the form of the latest version of the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). Please send a completed VPAT to ____________ by __________.

Related resources