- State the applicable accessibility standard (e.g., WCAG 2.1 Level AA).
- Define the process for handling exceptions to standards and specifications.
- Agree on deployment and support procedures, making sure that the vendor’s dedicated support team covers accessibility.
- Include all relevant information on testing and delivery.
- Include that the vendor is responsible if the product turns out not to be accessible by requiring the vendor to remediate barriers, deliver a new product, return money paid, or pay damages.
- Include provision for soliciting feedback from both vendors and users.
- As accessibility challenges may not be readily apparent, specify the vendor’s responsibility to remediate a barrier whenever it is identified.
For additional information, you can visit the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (G3ICT) resource 9 Steps to Procuring Accessible ICTs for Inclusive Education
Section508.gov (the US accessibility legislation resource) has developed sample contract language for various situations:
- Custom ICT development services
- Installation, configuration and integration services
- Maintenance, upgrades and replacements
- Service personnel
- Hosting services
- Validation for ICT items
- Documentation
- Conformance reporting
- Non-compliance
This language will need to be adapted to refer to the specific accessibility standards of your college or university, instead of the Section 508 requirements.