1. Vendor Collaboration: From IT Accessibility Evaluation to Designing with Accessibility
Hadi Rangin, Dan Comden
Accessible Technology Services
UW IT

2. Overview Our approach Testing & Evaluation Working with vendors
Philosopy
Building collaborations

3. 15 years of projects LMS: blackboard, D2L, Moodle & Canvas
Library: Elsevier, Ebsco & Ex Libris
Conf system: Elluminate & Zoom
HR: Elucian, PeopleSoft, & Workday
Misc: Qualtrics, ServiceNow, PollEverywhere, Trumba, Panopto, Interfolio & many more

4. Reactive vs Proactive (1)
No way to capture accessibility feedback
Customer support lacks accessibility experience
Fixes may break other functionality
Reactive accessibility doesn't work

5. Reactive vs Proactive (2)
Preview of new designs & functionality
Get in front of release
Opportunity to get knowledge to designers & developers
Proactive is preferred but not the norm

6. Goals of Collaborations
Engage designers & developers in accessibility discussions
Educate vendors in Universal/Accessible Design
Make accessibility a part of Design, Development and Quality Control processes

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

8. 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

9. Testing & Evaluation (1)
Bring service manager/owner on board
Define major business processes and steps to perform them
Come up with a testing plan
Use one of our issue list templates to record our observation
Test with keyboard, using browser tools, check the code, use accessibility tools

10. Testing & Evaluation (2)
Verify issues with AT
Categorize issues found in priority 1, 2, 3 and deployment blockers
Priority level, Title, type of issue, tester, version/date, description, comment
Example: Interfolio, Bridge

11. Accessibility Report Disclaimer Executive Summary
Test environment: browsers, ATs
Outline of major issues
Link to the issue list
Timelined Accessibility Roadmap
Get this into contract

12. Example Report
Sample report
Sample issue list

13. Working with Vendors (1)
Each collaboration project is unique
Sales reps, project managers, developers, users with disabilities, accessibility specialists, service owners/managers, account managers
Regular meetings with responsible dept/vendor
Share Dropbox folder with vendor

14. Working with Vendors (2)
Demo of accessibility issues is very effective
Have the vendor perform some basic tasks with keyboard
Keep all parties engaged & focus on the bug fixes/enhancements
Gaining trust of liaison & company is key
Prepare to spend a lot of time with them
Use issue list in shared folder for all updates

15. Working with Vendors (3)
Follow up to ensure the group produces results
First results will take time
Watch for lip service
Site-visit for training & discussing complicated issues/redesigns
Local developers & vendors need accessibility training
Consider accessibility throughout application development cycle

16. Bug Fix to Redesign Functional vs. Technical accessibility
Example: 96 shortcut keys to operate Lync
Accessible design vs. accessibility bandage
Follow UW Accessibility Philosophy
Adapting to an application vs. flexibility in application to user’s needs

17. UW Philosophy of Accessibility
Universal Design (UD): Design and deliver products and services usable to a wide range of individuals without the need for adaptation or specialization
Accessibility should be integrated into the decision-making process:
Designing & developing local applications
Purchasing products from third-party vendors

21. 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

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

23. Q & A
Hadi Rangin
Dan Comden