Accessible Procurement Procedure
When looking to purchase new software for the University of South Carolina, the purchaser should request a current VPAT from the vendor to demonstrate the product's conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 Level AA.
The VPAT should:
- Use at least version 2.4 of the template
- Have a completion date within the last 12 to 18 months
- Include manual testing with assistive technology as part of the evaluation methods
- Show their product's conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA
If the product has gaps in WCAG conformance, the vendor should provide a roadmap to address these accessibility concerns in a timely manner. As of early 2025, our current expectation is for full conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA by April 2026 to align with the final rule on digital accessibility.
Technical Review Board Procedure
- When a demand is submitted through ServiceNow for the Technical Review Board (TRB) to review, a VPAT should be attached to the demand.
- Once the VPAT is submitted, it is reviewed for the the product's state of conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
- If the product does not meet our compliance standards based on IT Policy 5.00 (PDF), the TRB will work with the vendor to find a solution. This can include an accessibility roadmap with a written commitment to meet requirements by a specific date, working to understand the impact to user groups, and/or helping to prioritize the remediation of accessibility issues.
Educational Platforms
The procedure for accessible procurement applies to any and all platforms instructors may want to use to facilitate their online classrooms. These platforms are expected to comply with digital accessibility guidelines to be used as part of courses at USC.
Required Accessibility Provision
Any contract, obligation or agreement must include a provision that the product, service or tool is compliant with IT Policy 5.00 [pdf] or that any issues preventing compliance will be fixed within a specific time period requested by the university.
The contract, obligation or agreement must also hold the University of South Carolina harmless for any claims, damages, expenses, fines, costs, attorney’s fees and any other liability resulting from the university’s acceptance and/or use of the product, service or tool.