Step by step process:
Step 1: Request Accessibility Documentation - Ask the vendor to provide a completed Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), also known as an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR).
Step 2: Submit an Intake Form - Complete the intake form located on the Accessible procurement and digital product review webpage.
Step 3: DAP Review & Risk Determination - The Digital Accessibility Program (DAP) reviews the vendor’s VPAT/ACR and determines next steps:
- If the VPAT/ACR is complete / verifiable and demonstrates accessibility expertise and reliability: DAP will issue an accessibility report outlining any non-compliant items. The vendor must commit to remediating those issues by an agreed-upon date or fiscal quarter, usually within 1 year.
- If the VPAT/ACR is not complete / verfiable and does not and demonstrate accessibility expertise and reliability, additional testing is needed: DAP will place the product in the testing queue. The testing timeline depends on existing workload and on when the vendor provides access. Alternatively, vendors may utilize a viable accessibility audting third party to complete an accessibility audit and share results with DAP. After testing, DAP issues an audit report outlining all accessibility issues.
Step 4: Vendor Remediation Commitments - The Functional Owner coordinates with the vendor to obtain firm remediation dates for each identified issue. These commitments must be documented in the DAP audit report. Vendors are typically given up to a year to resolve all items. During that time, the functional owner is responsible for supporting users that encounter accessibility barriers while using the product.
- Blocker-level issues must be addressed urgently as priority.
- An Equally Effective Alternative Access Plan (EEAAP) may serve as a short-term stopgap but cannot be used as a long-term solution. An EEAAP typically involves UC Berkeley staff (e.g. the functional owner of the tool) providing support to any users that encounter accessibility barriers while using the tool.
Step 5: Exception Letter (If Needed) - If accessibility issues remain unresolved, DAP prepares an exception letter that includes the completed accessibility report and the vendor’s remediation roadmap.
Step 6: Final Review & Decision (If Needed) - The Berkeley IT CIO and Disability Access & Compliance Chief Accessibility Officer review the exception letter and determine whether to approve or deny the request. Exceptions are generally valid for 12 months from the date they are approved. The functional owner is responsible for supporting users through an EEAAP and working with the vendor to ensure accessibility fixes are completed before the exception expires.
Note: The accessibility reviews should be completed alongside the privacy and security reviews and prior to signing contracts for web-based Information Technology and services. If you have an existing product in use that requires review, please submit an intake form at least 3 months prior to the next contract renewal date. Note that review timelines depend on vendor accessibility documentation and their active engagement with the process, current review queues, and DAP staff bandwidth. The process generally takes at least 3-6 weeks once vendor documentation and test access is provided.
Coming soon: FAQs page