Procure Accessible Digital Services

Owned by Jasmyne Epps
Last updated: Feb 09, 2024 by Jenna TollersonVersion comment
2 min read

Ensuring that all users are able to access your web content regardless of ability is not only the right thing to do, it's required: all State of Georgia digital properties, including websites, web applications, mobile applications, or any other form of digital information made available and accessed through digital tools, must be WCAG 2.0 AA compliant. For more information on state-mandated accessibility requirements, please review the State of Georgia's Digital Accessibility Standard. 

When procuring digital services, such as website redesigns or web application development, it is vital to the success of your project that you choose vendor(s) who not only demonstrate proficiency in implementing accessible work but who also demonstrate that accessibility is a core guiding principle within their organization.

In our latest Drupal 8 procurement, Digital Services Georgia required vendors to provide the following documentation in our Technical Requirements to establish their accessibility credibility:

Limit response to 1 page, covering both mandatory and highly desired requirements for Accessibility.

Mandatory:

  1. Respondent must demonstrate how work produced adheres to Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 guidelines.

    1. Respondent must document through narrative how work produced adheres to Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 guidelines. Include code examples if appropriate.

  2. Respondent must have experience with and outline approach to accessibility testing.

    1. Provide a narrative to describe your approach to accessibility testing.

Highly Desired:

  1. GTA prefers vendors to demonstrate that accessibility is a core value guiding internal development culture and practices.

    1. Provide a narrative to describe your team's culture as it pertains to accessibility.

Another wealth of information regarding procuring accessible digital services can be found at the following Github repository, a11y-contracting. This repo contains sample procurement language, real examples from government solicitations, and other recommendations and considerations for engaging an informed vendor. 

Accessibility expert and consultant Mike Gifford of OpenConcept Consulting recommends including language to the effect of:

We require that all purchases be accessible according to the Web Accessibility Initiative
(WAI) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 AA.

or

All content, interfaces, and navigation elements to be used for this project must be
compliant with Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 AA.
Compliance means that a person with a disability can perceive, operate and understand the
interface the same as a person without a disability

If you represent a State of Georgia agency who'd like help in drafting procurement requirements and language, please reach out to the Digital Services Georgia with a Support Request at digitalservices.georgia.gov/help. (You may need to create an account first).