Accessibility in Procurement Deep(-er) Dive

Particularly since the spring of 2020, third-party technology has been a significant part of most organizations' portfolios. While we can't directly change a tool we don't create or maintain, most organizations must provide accessible technology to their various audiences, whether built in-house or sourced from a vendor. There is more to accounting for accessibility in our purchase or use decisions than getting a vendor’s accessibility conformance report and checking a box that we have received it. We need to put accessibility in alongside the various technical and aesthetic requirements that we account for thoroughly. At the same time, we need to find ways to scale any more thorough vetting of candidate vendors and products. This session will discuss a few ways to vet candidate products. We will suggest answers to questions such as:

• How do we engage accessibility conformance reports to ensure that they are accurate, complete, current, and thorough?

• What other processes or tools can we use to gather vital information about product accessibility?

• How can we find information about a given vendor’s overall approach to accessibility and not just about a specific product?

• How can we use existing procurement processes and tools to help us to receive more information sooner?

• What should our contracts do to help to protect us after our purchase?

• What partnerships in our organization can help us do more without more?

You will leave the session ready to fold accessibility into your technology procurement process so that the money you invest in technology also helps to provide more inclusive digital spaces. While we'll discuss best practices across several touchpoints, we will also respect the fact that organizations may need to approach any changes or additions deliberately.