We are legally required to ensure third-party products are accessible
Vendors are not accountable under the new law – public entities are. This means we need to validate whether third-party products meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 A and AA. This includes any third-party products used by students, employees, or the public. We need to try our best to meet the new requirements by April 2026, which means we need to streamline third-party product testing going forward.
Why can’t we rely on a vendor’s word?
Most vendors currently do not have a full understanding of accessibility or a designated accessibility team.
Vendors often rely on a third-party to do their testing and that testing is often limited due to the overall cost of outsourcing accessibility testing, so several types of assistive technology testing are often left out, including speech recognition software and display modes.
In addition, the testing does not happen on a regular basis (some vendors only get their products tested every five years even though significant changes have happened in the meantime).
Finally, the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) that vendors often provide is voluntary and not legally binding. The VPAT is completed differently by every vendor making it significantly unreliable.