The CSU Accessible Technology Initiative

• Launched in 2004• Systemwide collaboration to integrate accessibility into

technology adoption policies/procedures in 3 Priority Areas: Web, Instructional Materials, and Procurement• Key Strategies

1. Establish a clear institutional commitment to AT

2. Build sufficient capacity to support the implementation

3. Measure progress over time

4. Target essential, high-impact areas

5. Drive vendor improvements to accessibility support

6. Leverage expertise within and outside the CSU

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Digital Rentals Project Overview

• The CSU Affordable Learning Solutions (ALS) focuses on providing faculty with a wide selection of high-quality curricular content that is more affordable for students• The ALS uses a variety of methods including:

• Identify and promote the use of OER and low-cost content• Establish discounted systemwide licensing for commercial

content• Share exemplary practices for authoring, selecting, and

deploying content

• In early 2012, the ALS planned a systemwide RFP to promote digital textbook rentals across the CSU and tasked the ATI to incorporate accessibility throughout the project lifecycle

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Digital Rentals Project: Overall Goals/Methods

• Goals• Clearly convey importance of, and expectations regarding,

accessibility to prospective bidders• Determine extent of vendor accessibility support• Leverage procurement process to drive improvements to

accessibility support for both products and documentation

• Methods• Include accessibility requirements in RFP proposal• Review vendor accessibility documentation• Validate vendor product accessibility claims• Require vendors to document their commitments to resolve

accessibility gaps

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Digital Rentals Project: Prioritization

• The CSU annually licenses tens millions of dollars in E&IT products/services yet the ATI has finite resources each year to incorporate accessibility into these contract activities• The ATI shifted from using specific dollar thresholds to

implementing the CSU ATI Prioritization Framework which codifies our recommendations regarding priority-setting by• Identifying key factors (impact, probability, and capacity)• Providing key questions to assess and rate each factor• Using the aggregate priority level to select ATI projects/activities• Document their commitments in their annual plans and reports

• This method better addresses no-cost but high-impact technologies that may occur without contracts (e.g. Google Apps) as well as expensive but low-impact technologies. 4

Digital Rentals Project: Prioritization (cont…)

• In the context of the Digital Rentals project, The ATI also set priorities regarding• The extent of vendor accessibility submission requirements• The extent of access to the eBook platforms and content that the

CSU required vendors to provide• The scope and depth of the accessibility evaluation process• The frequency with which vendors are expected to report changes

in the status of accessibility remediation

• These will be touched on in each of the project stages that follow

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Digital Rentals Project: Planning Goals

• When adopting any E&IT product or service, there are 4 essential questions for which we seek answers to understand the implications of adopting a technology

1. What accessibility features are provided?

2. What accessibility gaps are present?

3. What plans does the vendor have to address known gaps?

4. What workarounds/accommodations should the campus plan to provide until the accessibility gaps have been addressed?

• All procurement activities and requirements are driven by the need to answer these questions

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Digital Rentals Project: Planning Language• The ATI incorporated accessibility language into RFPs that

• Specifically identified our compliance target (Section 508)• Described functional Content Accessibility Requirements tailored to

eTextbooks (text access, reading order, semantic markup, etc.)• Linked to key references (e.g. the joint US Dept of

Justice/Education ‘Dear Colleague’ letter and associated FAQ)• Clearly identified which accessibility documents should be

submitted (VPAT, testing documentation, Accessibility Roadmap)• Provided vendor guidance/templates on preparing accessibly docs

• CSU Guide to Voluntary Product Accessibility Template• CSU Accessibility Roadmap Template• CSU Product Accessibility Documentation Guidelines

• Required vendors to describe their product accessibility experience and provide a dedicated accessibility point-of contact

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Digital Rentals Project: Evaluation (Product)• It was critical that we conduct product accessibility

evaluations to validate vendor accessibility claims by• Selecting a subset of essential components

• Tasks to evaluate (Discovery, Acquisition, Reading, Layout Adjustment, Text Adjustment, Navigation, Annotation, and Printing)

• Use cases (blindness, low-vision, keyboard-only operation)• Technical environments (OS, browsers, etc.)

• Developing a standardized Digital Rental Accessibility Screening Template to• Record key data (Evaluation Overview, Executive Summary,

Recommendations, Detailed Findings)• Key details (Verification Methods, Findings, Comments for each step)• Facilitate comparison across platforms

• Conducting targeted conformance testing8

Digital Rentals Project: Evaluation (Docs)

• The ATI then validated vendor accessibility claims in VPAT by focusing on several key factors• Relevance (reflects current version or version to be provided)• Completeness (all relevant sections and criteria are addressed)• Specificity (criteria response clearly indicate extent of

conformance)• Accuracy (responses clearly relate to associated criterion)• Correspondence (validated by product accessibility evaluation)

• Each vendor received a report that• Summarized key findings from the product/documentation reviews• Listed specific performance reqs (summarized on next slide)• Provided an opportunity to discuss the findings/reqs with ATI staff

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Digital Rentals Project: Contracting

• Vendor requirements• Accessibility Documentation

• Revise their VPATs to reflect findings from the evaluations• Commit to provide updated VPATs following major product updates and

in advance of contract renewal• Consent for ATI to post updated VPATs and Accessibility Roadmaps to

ALS Accessibility site for use by all CSU staff/faculty

• Product Accessibility Remediation• Provide Accessibility Roadmaps within 60 days of contract start• Revise Accessibility Roadmaps following major product updates and in

advance of contract renewal• Affirm their understanding that progress on product remediation would

be a condition for CSU at time of contract renewal

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Digital Rentals Project: Implementation Planning

• ATI supports campus implementation planning by• Posting and discussing outcomes and deliverables from RFP

process with CSU community• Guiding CSU campuses to develop an Equally Effective

Alternate Access Plan (using ATI supplied template)• Updating website as new information is received and vetted• Maintaining ongoing communication with vendors regarding

changes to their platforms• Conducting ongoing environmental scans for promising

practices or tools that leverage accessibility features or facilitate workarounds/accommodations for accessibility gaps

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Digital Rentals Project: Outcomes (so far…)

• Benefits• Gathered authoritative accessibility information• Eliminated redundant accessibility efforts (evaluation, remediation)• Accelerate remediation of products and accessibility documentation• that resulted in significant improvements

• Lessons Learned• Clearly document your accessibility requirements• Provide supportive guidance materials for vendors• Suggest remediation priorities that meet your needs• Involve vendor in workarounds/accommodations planning• Plan for inevitable accessibility gaps

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