A11Y Vendor Contracting Checklist for School Districts

• Name a district accessibility owner with authority to coordinate the work
• Identify representatives from technology, curriculum, communications, procurement, special education, human resources, and legal services
• Define who approves new digital products
• Define who monitors vendor accessibility after purchase
• Establish an escalation path for unresolved barriers
• Report accessibility status and risks to district leadership

• Maintain an inventory of district websites, portals, apps, forms, documents, videos, LMS platforms, and vendor-hosted services
• Record the owner and vendor for each resource
• Identify the students, families, employees, and community members who use it
• List the essential tasks users must complete
• Record contract, renewal, and product review dates
• Identify high-risk services such as enrollment, employment, payments, assessments, emergency information, and required instruction

• Define the product’s essential user tasks
• Document the district’s accessibility requirements
• Require alignment with WCAG 2.1 Level A and Level AA
• Include accessibility in the request for proposals, scoring rubric, demonstrations, and contract
• Identify required browsers, devices, operating systems, and assistive technologies
• Decide what evidence vendors must provide
• Involve accessibility reviewers before selecting a finalist

A VPAT is a reporting template. The completed report is an Accessibility Conformance Report. Neither one is proof that the product is fully accessible.

• Current Accessibility Conformance Report based on the appropriate VPAT edition
• Exact product name and version covered by the report
• Date of the most recent accessibility evaluation
• Testing methods used
• Assistive technologies used during testing
• Independent audit results, when available
• List of known accessibility barriers
• Accessibility roadmap with target correction dates
• Product accessibility documentation
• Accessibility support contact
• Sample remediation report or issue-resolution record

• Can every essential task be completed using only a keyboard?
• Has the entire workflow been tested with screen readers?
• Are forms, errors, confirmations, and authentication accessible?
• Does the product support browser zoom, text resizing, reflow, and mobile access?
• Are videos accurately captioned?
• Are documents and reports generated in accessible formats?
• Are charts and dashboards understandable without relying only on color or visual position?
• Are drag-and-drop activities provided with accessible alternatives?
• Are mobile apps tested with VoiceOver and TalkBack?
• Are third-party integrations included in the accessibility evaluation?
• Can district staff create accessible content without custom code?
• How are accessibility regressions prevented during product updates?
• How quickly are critical accessibility barriers corrected?
• How will the vendor communicate accessibility changes to the district?

• Test the live product rather than relying only on a demonstration
• Complete essential tasks using only a keyboard
• Check visible keyboard focus and logical focus order
• Test representative workflows with a screen reader
• Test forms, validation messages, and confirmation screens
• Test at 200 percent text size and 400 percent browser zoom
• Review mobile and narrow-screen behavior
• Inspect sample PDFs, reports, presentations, and exports
• Review captions and transcripts
• Include users with disabilities when practical
• Document findings and compare them with the vendor’s claims

• State the required WCAG standard and conformance level
• Require the vendor to maintain accessibility throughout the contract
• Require disclosure of known barriers before purchase
• Require timely correction of critical barriers
• Set remediation deadlines by severity
• Require accessibility testing after major updates
• Require an updated ACR after material product changes
• Require advance notice of changes that may affect accessibility
• Give the district the right to conduct independent testing
• Require vendor cooperation with district accessibility reviews
• Require accessible training, documentation, and support
• Define consequences when accessibility obligations are not met
• Preserve termination or non-renewal options for unresolved barriers

• Train procurement staff to evaluate vendor accessibility claims
• Train technology staff to test products and integrations
• Train content creators to produce accessible materials
• Train LMS administrators and course designers
• Provide accessible templates and publishing guidance
• Tell staff where to report product barriers
• Include accessibility expectations in onboarding and annual training

• Publish an accessible barrier-reporting method
• Offer more than one contact method
• Identify who receives reports
• Confirm receipt of each report
• Record the affected product, task, and user impact
• Assign an owner and priority
• Provide interim access when immediate correction is unavailable
• Protect the privacy of the person reporting the barrier
• Communicate progress and resolution
• Retest before closing the issue

• Record each confirmed barrier
• Identify the affected users and essential tasks
• Assign severity and priority
• Name the district and vendor owners
• Identify the required correction
• Set a target completion date
• Document any temporary access method
• Record vendor commitments
• Retest corrected features
• Maintain evidence of closure
• Escalate missed deadlines
• Include unresolved issues in renewal decisions

• Review accessibility at least annually
• Retest after major releases or redesigns
• Monitor vendor release notes
• Track recurring barriers
• Review new documents, videos, and integrations
• Update the district inventory
• Review contracts before renewal
• Request updated accessibility evidence
• Gather feedback from users with disabilities
• Report progress, risks, and overdue remediation to leadership

Do not approve or renew a product without further review when:

• The vendor refuses to provide accessibility evidence
• The ACR does not cover the product version being purchased
• Essential tasks cannot be completed by keyboard
• Authentication blocks assistive-technology users
• Required forms cannot be completed or submitted
• Required videos lack accurate captions
• Required documents are image-only or otherwise inaccessible
• The vendor has no remediation process
• Critical barriers have no correction date
• The contract places all remediation responsibility on the district
• Vendor claims conflict with district testing
• The vendor treats accessibility as an optional future feature

• Accessibility evidence reviewed
• Essential workflows tested
• Known barriers documented
• Remediation commitments included in the contract
• District accessibility owner approves
• Procurement approves
• Technology approves
• Program or curriculum owner approves
• Legal review completed when required
• Monitoring and renewal dates scheduled