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Checklist: Evaluating Vendor’s Accessibility

    Creator: Accessible Libraries

    Date Updated: January 31, 2023

    Overview

    Evaluating the vendors and companies that libraries purchase from will provide a better idea of how accessible their products will be. If the companies have accessibility policies, employ persons with lived experiences, and have accessibility documentation, it is much likelier that the products they supply libraries are accessible.

    Note: VPATs are included in this checklist (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template). This report or document describes how e-resources meet the revised 508 Standards for Information Technology (IT) accessibility (a USA law).

    The checklist is based on the Accessibility Considerations for E-resource Procurement in Public Libraries and follows the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

    Checklist

    Use this checklist to evaluate the accessibility policies and practices of the vendors.

    1. Ensure the vendor/company has an accessibility department, team, or lead.
    2. All users can access the same product, not different and “accessible” versions.
    3. Check that the vendor/company has accessibility reports for their products.
    4. The vendor or company you are purchasing from provides accessibility product support.

    There is a simple checklist available to download:

    Vendor Procurement ChecklistDownload

    Ensure the vendor/company has an accessibility department, team, or lead.

    • Ensure the vendor’s company has an accessibility department, team, or lead.
      • If yes, check with the accessibility department, team, or lead about the products that the vendor supplies.
    • Determine if the vendor trains staff on accessibility.

    All users can access the same product, not different and “accessible” versions.

    • Determine if a different, accessible version of the product was created solely for persons with disabilities. Everyone should use the same version, which should be accessible by design.

    Check that the vendor/company has accessibility reports for their products.

    • Ensure that the vendor/company has an accessibility report or document for their product. This could be a VPAT report or document describing how the vendor’s products meet accessibility laws and guidelines.
      • If the company has one of these reports, ensure that it was completed recently or the last time any laws or guidelines were amended.
    • Check if the vendor/company has ever completed an accessibility audit. Determine the latest date of the accessibility audit.

    The vendor or company you are purchasing from provides accessibility product support.

    • Ensure that the vendor has accessibility documentation for their products. This could be information or instructions about how to use their products with screen readers.
      • Check if the vendors provide demonstrations of their products on how they work with assistive technologies.
    • Ensure that there is a way for library staff and users to provide accessibility feedback about the products.

    Related Links

    References

    Accessible Libraries & National Network for Equitable Library Service (January 31, 2023). Accessibility Considerations for E-resource Procurement in Public Libraries. Accessible Libraries. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://accessiblelibraries.ca/resources/procurement-in-libraries/

    Web Accessibility Initiative. (2022, November 1). WCAG 2 Overview. Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/