Acquisition/Procurement of Digital Assets

Determining if a product or service under consideration meets accessibility standards is critical in the University's efforts to create an accessible digital environment. This process begins immediately when a digital product or service is being considered for use by a University department or business unit.

In accordance with University policy, IRM-008: University Information Technology Accessibility, it is the University’s goal is to provide a digital environment that offers an independent user experience; complying with state and federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. To this end, it is important that digital assets deployed within the University’s digital environment meet the accessibility standards followed by the University; namely, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Understanding an asset’s level of compliance with these standards begins at the point a department or business unit considers a product or service for use within our environment.

The steps to determine the level of accessibility and whether or not the asset should be a part of the University's digital environment include:

  1. Request information from the supplier
  2. Review and evaluate this information
  3. Ask for a demonstration of how a person with a disability might use the product or service
  4. Determine the appropriateness of adding this product or service to the University's digital environment
  5. Continue monitoring accessibility during the life cycle of this product/service at UVA

It is the responsibility of the department/business unit to complete these steps when considering the use or deployment of a product or service within the University's digital environment.

Guidance regarding this process is provided through the following links: