Accessible Procurement
Procuring Accessible Digital Educational Materials and Technology
State and local educational agencies use a range of criteria in the process of procuring digital materials and edtech solutions for large-scale use in general education. Student data privacy, cybersecurity, interoperability, content standards alignment, and integration of artificial intelligence are common examples of the critical topics that education agencies include in purchasing decisions. A compliance standard that is often overlooked or misunderstood is accessibility. Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that state and local governments, including public educational agencies, provide web content and mobile apps that meet minimum accessibility standards. By integrating accessibility criteria in all phases of the procurement process, agencies increase opportunities for students with disabilities to access the same information, engage in the same interactions, and otherwise participate in, or benefit from, the same services, programs, and activities as students without disabilities.
The resources on this page inform agencies of best practices for adding accessibility requirements to existing tools and resources, such as requests for proposals (RFPs), scoring matrices, and contracts. Recommendations for tools to evaluate and verify accessibility information provided by vendors are also provided.
NCADEMI is developing more resources to help curriculum adoption and procurement teams include accessibility in purchasing decisions. What would be helpful to you? Please contact us!
Resources
Including Accessibility in All Components of Procurement: A Guide for State Educational Agencies and School Districts
This guide informs all participants of state and local procurement teams about accessibility requirements and considerations in all phases and activities related to purchasing digital educational materials and technology. Representatives from general education, special education, and technology, as well as other staff in state and local educational agencies, will find this information important to their roles and responsibilities.
Including Accessibility in Your EdTech Decisions
Register for this upcoming webinar where presenters will discuss familiar components where accessibility criteria can be embedded in the procurement process, such as RFPs, scoring matrices, and contract language. Additional components of procurement are introduced, including vendor documentation and demonstrations, which can enhance an educational agency’s understanding of the vendor’s commitment to accessibility as well as demonstrate accessibility conformance.
Sample NIMAS Language for Contracts and Purchase Orders
While this resource is specific to an agency’s purchase of print materials or non-accessible digital text (e.g., textbooks in untagged PDFs), it’s included in this section as a reminder to educational agencies of their obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to ensure students with disabilities who require accessible formats receive them in a timely manner.
Making VPAT®s and ACRs More Effective in Procurement
This resource from NCADEMI’s partner, WebAIM, presents best practices for using the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® and Accessibility Conformance Reports (ACRs) in purchasing decisions.