Introduction
This standard defines the guidelines, workflows, and resources associated with purchasing new, accessible Digital Resources on behalf of Portland State University (PSU).
Purpose and Applicability
PSU's Digital Accessibility Policy establishes the requirement for purchasing accessible Public-facing Digital Resources, in accordance with industry standards. This standard establishes a workflow for the evaluation and assessment of the accessibility of any new Digital Resources purchased on behalf of PSU.
This standard is required for Public-facing Digital Resources and is guidance for the purchase of non-public-facing Digital Resources; thus the procedures described below are applied to all new digital procurements.
Terms and Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Accessibility Documentation | Accessibility Documentation refers to any documentation that establishes the vendor’s compliance and/or commitment to the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This may include, but is not limited to, a completed: |
| Digital Resources | Digital Resources refers to any electronic—HTML or non-HTML—resources that are used in the creation, conversion, maintenance, or duplication of data or information. Digital resources may include, but are not limited to: - applications
- electronic documents
- media
- social media
- software
- Websites
|
| Procuring Party | Procuring Party or Parties refers to the PSU school, college, or department that is procuring the product under consideration. |
| Product | Product, in this context, refers to the technology, good(s), and/or service(s) being considered for procurement. |
| User Base | Faculty, staff, students, or members of the public who will most likely engage with the Product. User Base estimates should be based on maximum usage expected over the next three to five year time period. |
Standards and Procedures
Procuring parties are responsible for engaging with vendors to ensure that any Digital Resources under consideration for procurement is as accessible as possible in accordance with WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA Success Criterion, and WAI-ARIA , and WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices.
When Digital Resources are under consideration for procurement, procuring parties should coordinate with Contracting and Procurement Services, where they will be prompted to submit a request for an IT Solution and Service Contract Review.
Procuring Party Responsibilities
Over the course of the IT Solution and Service Contract Review, procuring parties will be advised to complete the following steps to ensure the accessibility of the Digital Resources under consideration for procurement:
Related Policies, Procedures, and Information
Point of Contact
Please contact OIT at help-accessibility@pdx.edu with any questions or concerns about this OIT standard.