Maintain Accessibility

Digital products and applications change over time with new releases, upgrades, and redesigns. For products you purchase or manage, you are responsible for managing suppliers over time to maintain or improve the accessibility of digital products and services.

  • During selection and purchasing: Communicate digital accessibility expectations to suppliers, so accessibility management becomes a part of your ongoing conversation   
  • During ongoing operations: Monitor product updates, new releases, and changes for accessibility

Managing Suppliers for Accessibility

Regular supplier management includes reviewing accessibility over time for supplier products:

  • Include accessibility in regular communications or meetings with supplier  
  • Escalate issues or barriers reported by U-M community to vendor and ensure issues are resolved  
  • Work with vendor to resolve accessibility issues identified in reviews  
  • Request accessibility information in vendor release notes or product update communications  
  • Request updated accessibility compliance documentation as needed  
  • Preview and test new product features or changes before they impact U-M community members
  • Periodically test the product or service for accessibility and work with the supplier to resolve new issues — Quick Non-technical Accessibility Tests can be used for testing
  • Maintain product documentation for U-M community, including accessibility information

Managing Accessibility Issues or Barriers

If a product has known barriers at the time of purchase, or emerging barriers at any time, you have a responsibility to:

  • Escalate issues to the supplier  
  • Document issues for U-M users, including workarounds  
  • Manage the supplier to ensure that issues are resolved in a timely and prioritized manner  
  • Verify that issues are resolved

More detail on this process is provided below for managing a supplier whose product has known issues at the time of purchase or at any later time.

  1. Establish clear priority of digital accessibility
    1. U-M contract language establishes U-M's position when negotiating with suppliers
    2. Individuals who are managing interactions with a supplier at the unit or department level should reinforce accessibility expectations
  2. Document accessibility issues
    1. Supplier should provide accessibility documentation by VPAT or other method
    2. U-M may review or identify issues, or receive reports of issues from our users
    3. U-M should review all issues (U-M identified or supplier/third-party identified) with suppliers and request correction
  3. Request improvement timeline
    1. Where gaps exist, request concrete timelines for improvement
    2. Request discussion with technical or product teams to clarify issues as needed
  4. Continuous reinforcement
    1. In regular touchpoints with suppliers, request updates on accessibility
    2. Request that release notes include digital accessibility information, and that feature demos describe how the tool can be used with digital accessibility in mind

Suppliers in good standing will prioritize issues that are identified as important to U-M. Emphasizing accessibility in discussions with supplier contacts is an important way to push for and maintain accessibility.