To ensure equal and inclusive access to Electronic and Information Technologies (EIT), and in accordance with the college’s EIT Accessibility Policy, all electronic information such as websites, digital course materials, and library electronic resources must be accessible, with or without the use of assistive technology. As part of this commitment, all EIT purchase requesters must complete the EIT Accessibility Review Form and submit a VPAT for review.
Any purchaser at the college who wishes to procure an EIT related product must complete the EIT Accessibility Review Form and submit a copy of the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) to eitprocurement@sunybroome.edu. Upon submission, the purchase requester will be contacted with next steps and the EIT Testing Taskforce will review the product and/or its VPAT.
If, upon review of the product and/or its VPAT, an EIT related product that is not found to meet standards as outlined within the college’s EIT Accessibility Policy, an EIT Accessibility Exception & Alternative Access Form may be completed for further review.
EIT Accessibility Exception & Alternative Access Form
Requesting a VPAT from Vendors
Sample email: Requesting a VPAT from a vendor
Dear (vendor contact name),SUNY Broome is committed to creating a culture of access for an inclusive learning and working environment that ensures all campus information resources and technologies are accessible to persons with disabilities. We are therefore required to purchase the most accessible products and services.
The first step of this process is to request a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT); a comprehensive guide for your technology team to help understand the various criteria within the template(s), along with the criteria’s application to Section 508 and WCAG AA standards. Please send me your VPAT so that we may begin our review process.
If you have not created a VPAT for this product, you can find more information on VPATs as well as a template here: www.section508.gov/sell/vpat.
Thank you and please contact me if you have further questions,
(campus requestor name and contact information)
Sample email: Requesting documentation if a vendor doesn’t have a VPAT
Dear (vendor contact name),Thank you for checking on the VPAT availability for this product.
In the absence of a VPAT, can you provide us with any information regarding the accessibility of the product? For example, what are known supports for accessibility criteria? What are known accessibility gaps of the product and how are those addressed? Do you have clients who require accessibility? If so, can you provide a reference for someone who can speak with us about the accessibility of your product? What experiences does your team have coding for accessibilities? What standards are used (e.g. WCAGs)? Do you do testing with users with disabilities? Does your company have a roadmap for accessibility going forward? Have you tested mobile apps with accessibility in mind? Would your company indemnify the college against legal action related to accessibility?
Is there a plan to create a VPAT for this product? We currently request and review VPATs at purchase and renewal. For purchases to move forward, a VPAT will be requested at the next purchase/renewal period. Information on creating VPATs, as well as a template, may be found here: www.section508.gov/sell/vpat.
Thank you for your assistance,
(campus requestor name and contact information)
