Technology Procurement

Smith makes every reasonable effort to purchase and develop information technology that is accessible to users with disabilities.

• The Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Clause (see ABC Contract Clauses) ensuring compliance to accessibility standards and regulations must be included in any contract or RFP involving the purchase or procurement of EITs.
• The Technology Access Committee can help you vet the accessibility of high-impact emerging technologies; contact the committee at techaccess@smith.edu.

Initial Steps

Here are some initial steps to assess accessibility when selecting and procuring new technologies.

Relative Impact

• How many people will see/use this technology?
• Who will use this technology—students, faculty, staff and/or public?
• Is it required or optional?

Try a Web Search

• Search for “[PRODUCT NAME]” and “accessibility” (both in quotes) to find sites that discuss the product.
• Searching for “[PRODUCT NAME]” and “accessibility” (both in quotes), and adding the term “site:.edu” (no quotations marks) will narrow your search to pages at educational institutions.

Contact the Vendor

Vendors are often able to provide accessibility information about their products. Vendors can provide accessibility information by responding to our Vendor/Bidder EIT Accessibility Questionnaire.

Vendor/Bidder EIT Accessibility Questionnaire (PDF)

Vendor/Bidder EIT Accessibility Questionnaire (PDF)

Accessibility Tests

Can you navigate the site or product without a mouse?

• NoMouse Challenge
• Force Focus Bookmarklet (Paul Adam)

What does the WebAIM WAVE browser tool reveal?

• WebAIM WAVE Firefox Add-on  
• WebAIM WAVE Chrome Extension

If you need assistance in evaluating a product or service for accessibility, please contact us using the form below.