1. IT Accessibility on Campus: from procurement to implementation
Hadi Rangin, Dan Comden
Accessible Technology Services
UW IT

2. Preview Background & History Road to accessibility
Incorporating accessibility in the contract

3. Accessibility on the rise?
More products entering campus than we can handle
Increase vendors’ understanding about accessibility by local developers and vendors
Most vendors working diligently to conform to legal standards (but they don't know what to do)
Higher-ed lacks resources and expertise to test & verify accessibility claims/VPAT

4. Misconception of accessibility
Lack of basic understanding of accessibility
Accessibility is too abstract and not taught
Many still see accessibility as final touch-up process

5. Product Types Legacy product with no plan for continuation or upgrades
Product with active contract and maintenance
Product being considered for RFP
Open-source or free products

6. Working with Local Developers
Get involved in the design stage and choice of technology
Help them utilize Universal Design Principles in their design and implementation
Provide training in accessible coding practice
Create new accessibility liaison

7. The RFP process (1) Get involved in RFP process as early as possible
Work with service owner/manager
Need to have sandbox/demo to test
Understand new applications & relevant Business Processes

8. The RFP Process (2)
Perform quick accessibility evaluations of potential products
Ask accessibility questions for RFP bidders
Entertaining VPAT & accessibility claims
Most purchasers/vendors have no clear idea/plan for accessibility

9. Road to Accessibility (1)
Desired product is often not accessible
Should accessibility be a deal breaker?
Define functional tasks/business processes
Perform comprehensive accessibility/usability evaluation of product

10. Road to Accessibility (2)
Compile prioritized accessibility issue list
Show-stoppers/deployment blockers must be addressed before deployment
Propose a timeline plan for fixes/enhancements to owner
Negotiate the roadmap & incorporate it in the contract

11. Working with existing contracts
No immediate financial incentive
Work with service owner/manager
Understand the applications & relevant business Processes
Perform quick accessibility evaluations of products
Encourage & engage vendor in an accessibility collaboration

12. Fun Vendor Tricks No one has asked for this before
Our product is accessible
We will build in accessibility with our new framework
The market needs us to build features first
We must use cutting edge technologies

13. The Contract Is Our Friend
VPATs are often useless
RFPs and purchasing boilerplate are often lacking
CEOs and/or engineers don’t get it or don’t care
They want our money

14. Negotiation Tactics It’s personal, and it’s a friendly rapport
You want to help them improve the product
You are an early adopter
You and your partners are concerned
You want to help them make their quarterly target
You want your institution to be an exemplar use case

15. Get It in Writing Accessibility and usability Start with WCAG 2
Point out the specific problems, starting with show- stoppers
Roadmap it with specific commitments and timelines
Propose an ongoing relationship with regard to accessibility
Have an escape clause
Be reasonable and flexible

16. Some Specific Cases (1)
An LMS vendor who became a true partner without contract specifics
A lecture capture vendor who requires cajoling without existing contract specifics
A TMS vendor who agreed in detail to hit showstoppers quickly

17. Some Specific Cases (2)
An audience response system vendor who needed a longer timeline
A web conferencing vendor who hit the list before the contract was signed

18. What to Do When the Product Is Free
Containment for a big productivity suite vendor who will agree to nothing
Embarrassment, silence, and then partnership from a big productivity suite vendor

19. Building Collaboration (1)
Accessibility is the responsibility of respective departments
UW accessibility team is here to help
Department assigns an accessibility liaison
Accessibility liaison leads the collaboration project

20. Building Collaboration (2)
No accessibility testing/evaluation without involvement of the respective department
We don't own accessibility.
We help other people own it.

21. Conclusion
Get involved in new local application design as quickly as early as possible
Get involved in RFP as early as possible
Help the respective departments understand that accessibility is their responsibility
Build accessibility alliances and liaisons in the chain of command
Collaborate proactively with vendors and respective departments

22. Q & A
Hadi Rangin
Dan Comden