[Athen] procurement language and accessible LMS

[Shuttlesworth, Rachel]

We have sent the message below to our instructional technology vendors and attach a doc version of the VPAT template.  The last section, titled "Message to vendors", is similar to what we include in RFPs. We review/evaluate them and use vendor responses to help inform our unit's decisions. Until our university has an administrative statement/policy about accessibility (in a few weeks, we hope), we can only recommend that other units do the same. The 'publicly available repository' should be live soon.

Rachel

Dr. Rachel S. Thompson
Director, Emerging Technology and Accessibility
Center for Instructional Technology
University of Alabama

Dear vendor,

Hello! In order to aid our students and faculty with disability accessibility and accommodations, The University of Alabama will need accessibility documentation for your newest updates. Please see below for more information. You may contact rsthompson2 at ua.edu<mailto:rsthompson2 at ua.edu> with questions.

Sincerely,
Rachel

Dr. Rachel S. Thompson
Director, Emerging Technology and Accessibility
Center for Instructional Technology
University of Alabama



Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® Information

About the VPAT
The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template®, or VPAT®, is a self-certification checklist that details the current accessibility status of a technology product, tool, or service. The VPAT was developed by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) (technology advocacy organization) in partnership with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). It serves to document a product's degree of compliance with the accessibility standards under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The completed VPAT assists decision makers with preliminary assessments regarding the accessibility level of the technology.
The VPAT includes several tables, each with three columns. The first table offers a summary view of the section 508 standards, with column one of the Summary Table describing the subsections of subparts B and C of the Standards, column two describing the supporting features of the product or referring to the corresponding detailed table, "e.g., equivalent facilitation”, and column three giving any additional remarks and explanations regarding the product. Subsequent tables give more extensive information on each subsection of the section 508 standards with the first column containing the lettered paragraphs of the subsections, the second column giving the supporting features of the product with regard to that paragraph, and the third column offering any additional remarks and explanations regarding the product.
message to vendors
Like many higher education institutions, the University of Alabama is increasingly concerned with ensuring that it complies with ADA and Section 508 requirements regarding disability accommodations. Because our institution uses your products or services, it is important to make sure we have documentation regarding how you address accommodations. Please send a copy of or link to the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template for your product(s), as well as any other relevant information to aid us in this effort. Information about the VPAT and a template for its completion are available below. A document template is also attached. These resources will be kept on file for use at The University of Alabama and will need to be updated when the product changes. The VPAT responses will be used to aid UA in evaluating products and services and will be added to a publically available repository of accessibility information.
VPAT web site: http://www.itic.org/public-policy/accessibility.
VPAT document version link: http://www.itic.org/dotAsset/5644ecd2-5024-417f-bc23-a52650f47ef8.doc.





From: <Humbert>, Joseph A <johumber at iupui.edu<mailto:johumber at iupui.edu>>
Reply-To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu>>
Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2013 6:48 AM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu>>
Subject: RE: [Athen] procurement language and accessible LMS

This these resources have some of the language you seek.

http://www.ada.gov/louisiana-tech.htm

http://www.calstate.edu/Accessibility/EIT_Procurement/


Joe Humbert, Accessibility Specialist
UITS Adaptive Technology and Accessibility Centers
Indiana University, Indianapolis and Bloomington
535 W Michigan St. IT210 F
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Office Phone: (317) 274-4378
johumber at iupui.edu<mailto:johumber at iupui.edu>
http://iuadapts.Indiana.edu/<http://iuadapts.indiana.edu/>

From: athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu> [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Robert Martinengo
Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2013 7:26 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
Subject: Re: [Athen] procurement langauge and accessible LMS

This site has some useful info.
http://universaldesign.ie/useandapply/ict/itprocurementtoolkit/stagesofprocurement/rft

On Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 3:15 PM, James Bailey <jbailey at uoregon.edu<mailto:jbailey at uoregon.edu>> wrote:
Hello all:

My school is looking into new LMS environments and has ask me for wording to add to the RFP (procurement document)  regarding accessibility. If anyone has such language that they could share, I would appreciate it very much.

Have a great day,

James
--
James Bailey M.S.
Associate Director
Accessible Education Center
University of Oregon





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