Procurement

Before purchasing electronic products or services, review our guidelines.

Making Accessible Digital Purchases

As Yale’s digital landscape continues to grow, it becomes increasingly important to make purchasing decisions that adhere to our accessibility policy. The policy establishes requirements for staff, faculty, and students to procure websites and web applications that are as accessible as possible to people with disabilities.

Including accessibility in purchasing decisions helps ensure product owners evaluate whether, for example, technology supports keyboard operability for people who are blind or have limited mobility to navigate content or allows people who are deaf to choose audio alerts to display visually. Taking these considerations into account when buying a digital product can help increase access to education and employment for disabled users.

Download Accessible Digital Purchasing Checklist

Key Terms

Abbreviation Term Description
AA Accessibility Addendum A Yale document that should be added to any contract for the acquisition or development of web sites, web applications, software with a user interface, or electronic documents. 
ACR Accessibility Conformance Report: A vendor’s document that describes how well a product conforms to WCAG 2x standards, commonly referred to as a VPAT.
RFP Request for Proposal An open request for bids to complete a new project proposed by the company or other organization that issues it. 
VPAT Voluntary Product Accessibility Template A template used to create an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) prepared by a product developer or vendor.
WCAG Web Content Accessibility Guidelines A set of technical standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium to guide the creation of accessible websites and web applications so that people with disabilities can access them. 

Related Content: 

Language for RFPs, Contracts, and Statements of Work

Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs)

Asking Vendors about Visual Design

Empowering Accessibility

For software, web services, and electronic applications used for University business, Yale units should assess a vendor’s accessibility maturity before selection.

To determine how a product meets established accessibility standards, request an accessibility conformance report (often called a VPAT) from the vendor prior to purchase. Our office is available to provide feedback and recommendations based on the vendor’s documentation.

Ask Vendors to Provide the Following: 

illustration of a checklist

  • Formal documentation (VPAT, Accessibility Conformance Report) about how the current product version conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1), Level A and Level AA standard. Formal documentation is expected to be dated within the past 18 months.

  • Contact information for the designated representative at the company to address issues, questions, or the resolution of accessibility barriers in the application.

  • A description of the vendor’s accessibility testing process, including the types of automated and manual tests performed, and any tools or assistive technologies used during development.

  • A clear disclosure indicating whether or not their product uses an accessibility overlay.

Custom Development 

Since no product exists at contract time, focus on evaluating how the vendor incorporates accessibility into their design and development process.

View recommended language for inclusion in RFPs and Statements of Work to help ensure accessibility expectations are clearly communicated to potential vendors.

Before Finalizing a Supplier

If you haven’t already done so, complete the following steps:

  • Request an accessibility conformance report from the vendor, unless otherwise advised by Procurement or the ITS Accessibility Office. This report—often referred to as a VPAT—should describe how the product meets WCAG 2.1, Levels A and AA.

  • Submit the report to the ITS Accessibility Office with a copy to Procurement.

  • Complete the Web or Technology Procurement Updates Form (accessibility survey). Anyone is welcome to submit this form before the VPAT is collected.
A11y logo, two hands shaking, and check mark.

Interpreting Responses

If you have questions about the report or the vendor’s response, please contact the ITS Accessibility Office at accessibility@yale.edu, or select ‘Yes’ on the form to request a follow-up from a member of the ITS Digital Accessibility team. We’re available to help interpret documentation and advise on next steps.

Alternative Accommodations:

If the vendor cannot provide a current Accessibility Conformance Report (VPAT) or if the product does not fully conform to WCAG 2.1 AA, work with the Yale ITS Accessibility Office and, when applicable, the Student Accessibility Services Office to identify and implement alternative or interim accommodations.

Examples of possible accommodations include:

  • Using a different accessible tool or platform to provide the same functionality.
  • Offering an accessible version of the content (e.g., transcript, captioned video, alternative file format).
  • Providing individual assistance to users who encounter barriers.

These accommodations should be coordinated with the appropriate accessibility offices to ensure they meet the needs of users with disabilities and comply with Yale’s accessibility requirements.