If you are equipped with a Pcard and you plan to procure (purchase) technology with it, please keep UNLV digital accessibility requirements in mind.
The UNLV Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) is one of a number of units that are part of your pre-purchasing vetting process and many related details, in support of the January 2020 UNLV digital accessibility policy, are shared via our page.
Beyond just “software”, OAR curates required accessible documentation for ICT (information and communications technology) items that are within the Scope of the above policy:
The ICT Accessibility Policy applies to all technology and any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment that is used in the creation, conversion, or duplication of data or information employed in support of university business.
ICT includes, but is not limited to, the internet and intranet websites, content delivered in digital form, electronic books and electronic book reading systems, search engines and databases, learning management systems, classroom technology, instructional materials, student response systems ("clickers"), and equipment such as classroom podiums, copiers and fax machines. ICT also includes, but is not limited to, telecommunications products (such as telephones), information kiosks, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), transaction machines (such as payment terminals), computers, ancillary equipment, software, services (including support services), equipment maintained and services operated by third-party vendors, and related resources.
Whether you are purchasing a mobile app license or a browser/software plugin, you are licensing a dataset or a piece of software or you are subscribing to an online version of a periodical or a cloud-based service, these and more are within OAR’s oversight.
Purchase approvals require two documents: 1) The vendor’s accessibility commitment statement, and 2) The vendor’s accessibility conformance report, also called a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template). If available, they can be found either on the vendor’s website or via a general web search. If you cannot locate these items or upon request, the vendor is unable to supply either or both, then please contact OAR via email for assistance with UNLV’s Alternate Access Plan (AAP), an exception’s process which can still facilitate a purchase approval.
Please allow adequate time for OAR to do any research on your behalf (up to 30 days for brand-new inquiries, 5 business days for upgrade-/renewal-related inquiries). If you would like more structured information about our procurement processes so you and your team may be equipped with strategic planning information around this issue, we offer 1-hour trainings via Zoom or Google Meets upon request.
If you have questions about accessibility-related procurement details, please email the team at our procurement-focused email of accessibilityresourceteam@unlv.edu.
