Information for campus members purchasing software/hardware
Information for Vendors
SUNY New Paltz adheres to the Procurement Accessibility Conformance Standards established in the SUNY Electronic & Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Committee Final Report and Recommendations, which prioritizes the purchase of accessible products and services. Please review the Procurement Accessibility Conformance Standards for specific criteria.
Required in the process of purchasing accessible products and services is the gathering of supporting documents including a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) and, if necessary, an Accessibility Roadmap, which is a document that “addresses all [application] interface accessibility gaps, [and] describe[s] the timelines by which these accessibility gaps will be remediated, as well as recommendations regarding interim workarounds.”
High impact EIT products and services require careful evaluation before purchasing and evaluations by a third-party may be necessary before a purchase at this level can be completed.
VPAT form
A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) “is a document that explains how information and communication technology (ICT) products such as software, hardware, electronic content, and support documentation meet (conform to) the Revised 508 Standards for IT accessibility’ (www.section508.gov/sell/vpat). The VPAT helps campus personnel evaluate the product to see if it conforms to accessibility standards and guidelines.
If a vendor of a product or service does not already have a VPAT available, one can be completed by downloading and completing the standard VPAT form.
VPAT’s must be completed thoroughly and thoughtfully. If you are a vendor and this is the first time you are completing a VPAT, you may want to consult the information on the following page for guidance: Navigating VPAT 2.0: A Guide for Vendors – Q & A and Webinar Resources.
Accessibility Roadmap Form
If it is determined that a product or service has one or more accessibility issues (whether this is through the VPAT, campus testing, third-party testing, etc), a vendor may be asked to complete an Accessibility Roadmap form. An Accessibility Roadmap form is completed by the vendor and it provides an accounting of any existing issues and offers a plan or timeline to correct these issues, usually before the renewal of the contract.
