Project Management and Procurement
Addressing Accessibility in Projects
Incorporating accessibility into every phase of a project is essential for compliance and inclusivity. From procurement to implementation, this section provides practical guidance on addressing accessibility within project life cycles, crafting clear contract language, and navigating procurement challenges. Learn how to plan for accessibility, mitigate risks, and ensure your projects are inclusive from start to finish.
Accessibility Review
A thorough accessibility review is key to evaluating whether products and services meet the needs of all users, including individuals with disabilities. This section outlines tools and strategies for reviewing accessibility documentation, engaging vendors through targeted questions, and assessing product demonstrations. These steps ensure that accessibility is prioritized during procurement and throughout the lifecycle of a product or service.
For Suppliers
Vendors and suppliers play a critical role in ensuring accessibility for products and services used in education. This section provides essential resources to help suppliers understand their roles and responsibilities, develop effective accessibility documentation, and continuously improve their practices. By fostering collaboration and prioritizing accessibility, vendors can meet compliance standards while supporting equitable access for all users.
- Maturity Model Dimensions and Self-Assessment
- Creating an Accessibility Conformance Report
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Risk Management for Vendors
- Planning Template (Document)
- Self-Assessment and Planning Template (Google sheet)
- Strategies for Growth
- 1EdTech Vendor Self-Assessment
- Collaborative approach
- Potential barriers to collaboration
- Addressing Accessibility in Student-Facing Educational Materials: Resource Doc
Common Issues and Guidance
Issue: Often, accessibility considerations are limited to one user group, neglecting the comprehensive needs of all stakeholders.
Guidance: Expand the accessibility evaluation to encompass all user interfaces and components of the IT solution. Ensure that the vendor provides clear information on accessibility features that cater to different user groups. Engage with diverse stakeholders to understand their specific needs and include these in the procurement criteria.
Issue: VPATs or ACRs are sometimes accepted without thorough scrutiny, leading to gaps in understanding the actual accessibility compliance and usability of the product.
Guidance: Develop an internal capability or partner with external experts to critically assess VPATs/ACRs. This assessment should go beyond checking for the presence of a report to evaluating the depth, accuracy, and relevance of the compliance details provided. Train procurement teams to identify and question vague or non-committal language regarding accessibility support.
Issue: A common pitfall is prioritizing compliance with standards over the real-world usability of the solution by people with disabilities.
Guidance: Incorporate usability testing with participants who have disabilities into the procurement process. Ensure that accessibility evaluations consider both adherence to standards and the practical ease of use for individuals with various disabilities. Vendors should be encouraged or required to demonstrate this aspect through user testing feedback.
Issue: Demonstrations of IT solutions rarely include discussions or demonstrations of accessibility features and functionalities.
Guidance: Require vendors to include comprehensive accessibility demonstrations as part of the procurement process. These demonstrations should showcase how their solutions accommodate users with different disabilities and should be assessed critically by the procurement team.
Issue: There is often an incorrect assumption that users with disabilities will not be using the procured IT solutions.
Guidance: Recognize and validate the presence and importance of users with disabilities in all user groups. Incorporate accessibility as a fundamental requirement in the procurement process, ensuring that all IT solutions are usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities.
Issue: Accessibility is sometimes viewed as the sole responsibility of a designated subject matter expert rather than a collective priority.
Guidance: Promote a culture where accessibility knowledge and responsibility are shared among all stakeholders involved in procurement. Provide training and resources to ensure that every team member understands the basics of accessibility and can contribute to informed decision-making.