Purchasing Accessible Technology

NIU requires that all electronic and information technology (EIT) purchases be accessible in compliance with Federal Rehabilitation Act - Section 508 Refresh and Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act 2.0. Accessible EIT can be accessed by people with a wide range of abilities using different devices in diverse situations.

EIT purchasers can improve the accessibility of NIU's technology environment by making accessibility a criteria when purchasing.

Vendors should have a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®) available to show compliance with accessibility law by detailing how it meets Section 508 requirements.

If there are criteria labeled "Supports with Exceptions" or "Not Supported," then the product is not fully accessible.

If you have questions about a VPAT®, contact the Ethics and Compliance Office at eco@niu.edu.

Quick Accessibility Checks You Can Do Yourself

Here are some easy ways to check accessibility (this is not a complete accessibility check). If the answer is no to any of the following questions, there is an accessibility issue.

• Using just the tab key can you get to all the links, form fields, and buttons?
• Can you open links using the Enter key?
• Can you click buttons using the spacebar or Enter key?
• Are videos captioned?
• Are there controls that let you pause or stop videos?
• If you click on a form field's label, does the cursor move into that form field?
• Nothing flashes more than three times per second?
• Color is not used as the sole method for conveying information?

Exceptions

When purchasing electronic and information technology (EIT), accessibility is not always possible.

Accessibility law recognizes these exceptions:

• There is no accessible alternative.
• The product is the industry standard and therefore required.
• An equivalent accessible product is much more expensive (the dollar amount is not specified in the law).
• The product is not public-facing.
• The product will be used by a small known group of people who do not have a disability that will prevent them from using it.

When inaccessible or partially accessible EIT is purchased, demonstrating that NIU has considered accessibility and is working with the vendor to improve accessibility will minimize NIU's legal risk.