Ensuring Your ICT Procurement is Accessible
taught by:
Andrew Arch
co-presented by:
Neil Jarvis
Session Summary
In this session we'll provide an understanding of the processes and requirements to ensure accessibility considerations are included in the procurement of ICT products and services. If you're involved in any aspect of the procurement of ICT products or services, either as an accessibility advisor or as a user of ICT purchased for your organisation, come and learn how to improve the accessibility of future purchases.
Description
We recently created an Accessible ICT Procurement Guide for Australia’s higher education sector and ran a series of webinars to educate the sector about the Guide: https://caudit.edu.au/accessible-it-procurement/
The guide includes the following components:
- Introduction to ICT accessibility: Basic advice designed for procurement staff who may not have knowledge of accessibility
- Accessible procurement questions: Questions to ask prospective vendors during the process
- Clause Bank: Sample wording for accessibility-based clauses in documents used in the procurement cycle
- Awareness and understanding: Methods of embedding awareness and understanding of accessibility insidean organisation
- Risks: A guide to assessing risks relating to lack of accessibility and the means by which these can be mitigated
- Standards for accessibility: A guide to the relevant ICT-related standards designed to ensure accessibility is achieved
- Understanding ACRs and VPATs: An introduction to the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template and the Accessibility Compliance Report
- Waypoints: A step-by-step guide to including accessibility at everyu stage of the procurement process
Practical Skills
- The role of procurement in creating an accessible world.
- When to consider accessibility during the procurement process.
- How to assess accessibility responses from vendors.