In today’s purchasing market, accessibility is an increasingly important factor for companies looking to sell their products and services to government agencies, universities, and other organizations that care about accessibility. Many organizations now require a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) during the purchasing process to assess the accessibility of a product or service and determine if it meets their accessibility requirements. A VPAT is a document that provides detailed information on the accessibility of a product[…]
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Why Accessibility Matters When Buying Technology (and Other Most Asked Questions)
We surveyed our CTO Hiram Kuykendall and accessibility policy expert Kathy Keller on some of the often-asked questions we hear from both purchasers and public sector contractors faced with ensuring accessibility during the technology purchasing process. Why Accessibility Matters Josh and Lauren, who have been blind their entire lives, recount their experiences on how living with disabilities influences their everyday lives. They also discuss the significance of web and app[…]
READ MORE about Why Accessibility Matters When Buying Technology (and Other Most Asked Questions)Accessibility Policy Implementation: What You Need to Know
Kathy Keller is a fierce advocate of disability rights. She has worked on accessibility issues in the public, non-profit and private sectors. She was the Accessibility Coordinator at the Department of Family and Protective Services. Kathy is a “policy wonk” now, but began her career in accessibility in 2001 as a web developer/web administrator at Texas Parks and Wildlife. For 3 years, she was the Accessibility and Disability Rights Coordinator[…]
READ MORE about Accessibility Policy Implementation: What You Need to KnowDetermining Accessibility Under the Texas Administrative Code
A Primer for Managing Digital Accessibility Requirements in Higher Education Those familiar with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act may know that the law applies to federal agencies. However, given the degree of federal funds that make their way to state programs and public higher education, many states have passed legislation and policies that reference the compliance standards of the federal law and rules for applying at the state level. […]
READ MORE about Determining Accessibility Under the Texas Administrative Code8 Key Elements for Creating a Culture of Accessibility
Jeff Kline is the author of Strategic IT Accessibility: Enabling the Organization and is a recognized subject matter expert in key areas of IT accessibility that includes policy, rulemaking, process integration, procurement, and risk mitigation. He formerly served as Program Director of Statewide Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) Accessibility at the Texas Department of Information Resources. Jeff consults on IT accessibility policy matters for federal and state agencies, educational institutions,[…]
READ MORE about 8 Key Elements for Creating a Culture of AccessibilityVPAT: The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide
What does VPAT® stand for? VPAT stands for Voluntary Product Accessibility Template. A VPAT is a document template used to create a report on how accessible an information and communication technology (ICT) product is. ICT products include software, mobile applications, websites, documentation, or hardware. The generated report helps the procurement community assess the level of accessibility conformance during the market research and proposal evaluation stages. Once the VPAT is complete, it becomes an Accessibility[…]
READ MORE about VPAT: The Ultimate Buyer’s GuideUnderstanding Digital Accessibility in the Procurement Process
This post adapted from the article, “Understanding Accessibility in the Procurement Process” originally published in the September 2020 issue of Mealey’s™ Litigation Report: Cyber Tech & E-Commerce. Mealey’s is a subscription-based information provider and a division of LexisNexis. Why Digital Accessibility Matters Public sector entities such as the federal government, state government, and higher education institutions are required by various laws to try and procure products that are usable by[…]
READ MORE about Understanding Digital Accessibility in the Procurement ProcessVPAT 2.X, The Evolution of the Accessibility Conformance Report | Part One: An Overview
*NOTE: The Information Technology Industry Council has released subsequent minor VPAT revisions, available on the ITIC VPAT® web page. The Current VPAT Version 2.4 was released February 2020. Last reviewed / updated: 4/30/2021 This post adapted from the article, “VPAT 2.X, The Evolution of the Accessibility Conformance Report,” originally published in the November 2019 issue of Mealey’s™ Litigation Report: Cyber Tech & E-Commerce. Mealey’s is a subscription-based information provider and a[…]
READ MORE about VPAT 2.X, The Evolution of the Accessibility Conformance Report | Part One: An OverviewAccessibility in the News, Legal Edition: Updates on ADA Title III News and More
This “Accessibility in the News, Legal Edition” page offers an ongoing collection of articles primarily related to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) news and analysis. Please bookmark this page to keep up to date on legal developments related to disabilities. Also, if you have a web page focused on disabilities, civil rights, or web development, we would appreciate a link back to this resource. Thank you! ADA News: Updates on[…]
READ MORE about Accessibility in the News, Legal Edition: Updates on ADA Title III News and MoreCSUN 2018 Accessibility Interview: Elizabeth Simister, Blackboard Accessibility Manager
While at the 2018 CSUN Assistive Technology Conference in San Diego, Content and Marketing Specialist Vivian Cullipher set out to interview folks on their involvement in CSUN. Here, Vivian talks with Elizabeth Simister, Accessibility Manager at Blackboard. Blackboard provides education technology and services to K-12, higher education, and private and public sector organizations. Elizabeth Simister Interview Topics, CSUN 2018 To hear the entire :11 interview at once, try the full playlist[…]
READ MORE about CSUN 2018 Accessibility Interview: Elizabeth Simister, Blackboard Accessibility Manager