Before purchasing or using a new digital product, it’s important to ensure that it meets the UW Minimum Digital Accessibility Technical Standard (Interim). The product accessibility review process helps people acquiring new products or renewing contracts evaluate accessibility and meet compliance requirements.
Steps
A Product Accessibility Review can include up to six steps. Some steps are only needed if the product has accessibility problems or is considered a high risk for the University.
- Submit a Review Form
- Scope and Risk Review
- Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) and Roadmap Review
- Product Testing
- Provisional Approval
- Exception Request
Step 1. Submit a Review Form
The Scope and Risk Review Form is filled out by the Product Owner. A Product Owner is the primary person managing how the product is used now or will be used in the future if it hasn’t been acquired yet.
Form questions include:
- How the product is used
- Who has access to it
- How may people use it
Next Steps
Continue to Step 2. Scope and Risk Review
Need Help?
Contact digitalaccess@uw.edu with questions about the Scope and Risk Review Form
Step 2. Scope and Risk Review
Civil Right Compliance (CRC) staff review the Scope and Risk Review Form responses.
What you’ll get
Within 5 business days, CRC staff will send the Product Owner:
- Scope assessment of In scope, Out of scope, or Needs more information
- Risk level of Low, Medium, or High
- Risk score and notes providing details for why the product received its risk level
Next steps
- CRC staff will contact the Product Owner for products that need more information
- Out of scope products do not require further review
- In Scope, Low Risk products proceed to Step 5. Provisional Approval
- In Scope, Medium or High Risk products proceed to Step 3: ACR and Roadmap Review
Need Help?
Contact digitalaccess@uw.edu with questions about the Scope and Risk Review.
Step 3. ACR and Roadmap Review
Products with medium or high risk must have a high level of review. UW-IT Accessible Technology Services (ATS) will review the vendor’s Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) and accessibility roadmap to determine if the product is accessible.
ACR / Roadmap review evaluates both the ACR and accessibility roadmap for accuracy, completeness, and representation of the product’s actual accessibility.
What you’ll get
Within 5 business days, ATS staff will send the Product Owner:
- An ACR Score indicating whether the product “Meets expectations”, “Partially meets expectations”, or “Does not meet expectations”.
- Findings providing details for why the product received its ACR Score
Next steps
- Medium Risk products with an ACR Score of “Meets expectations” skip to Step 5. Provisional Approval
- Medium Risk products with an ACR Score of “Partially meets expectations” and all High Risk products proceed to Step 4: Product Testing
Need Help?
Contact help@uw.edu with questions about the ACR and Roadmap Review.
Step 4. Product testing
If a product’s accessibility cannot be clearly determined through the ACR and Roadmap review, it requires manual accessibility testing.
Quick Manual Accessibility Test
Products with Medium Risk and an ACR score of “Partially meets expectations” or High Risk and an ACR score of “Meets expectations” will get a Quick Manual Accessibility Test.
A Quick Manual Accessibility Test provides a high-level review of the user interface. Testing is limited to the home page and a small number of secondary pages and does not evaluate full functional workflows. The purpose is to gain an overall sense of the product’s accessibility.
Full Manual Accessibility Test
Products with Medium Risk and an ACR score of “Does not meet expectations” or High Risk and an ACR score of “Partially meets expectations” or “Does not meet expectations” will get a Full Manual Accessibility Test.
A Full Manual Accessibility Test is a deeper evaluation of the product. ATS works with the product owner to identify key functional workflows and evaluates accessibility throughout those workflows.
What you’ll get
Testing timelines vary based on whether the product receives a Quick or Full Manual Accessibility Test.
For a Quick Manual Accessibility Test, results are typically available within 5 business days after testing begins.
For a Full Manual Accessibility Test, results typically take between 1-4 weeks, depending on the additional time needed to identify and evaluate key functional workflows in collaboration with the product owner.
Within the applicable timeframe, ATS will provide the Product Owner with:
- Accessibility Test Score: “Pass” or “Fail”. In order to pass, the product fully must meet the UW Minimum Digital Accessibility Technical Standard.
- Findings and Recommendations providing details for why the product received its score.
Next steps
- Accessibility Test Score of “Pass” continue to Step 5. Provisional Approval
- Accessibility Test Score of “Fail” continue to Step 6. Exception Request
Step 5. Provisional Approval
Provisional Approval means that you are free to use the product, within a clear set of criteria.
What you’ll get
With Provisional Approval, the Product Owner will receive:
- Confirmation that the product has provisional approval to be used.
- Criteria for how the product may be used within that approval.
- A date for when the product will need to be reviewed again.
Next steps
- Continue to use the product.
- CRC staff will contact the product owner when it’s time to start a new Product Accessibility Review.
Step 6. Exception Request
If your product does not qualify for provisional approval, we recommend finding an alternative product that is accessible to meet your business needs. 
However, if there is no alternative product, and you believe your product meets the criteria for an exception, you may send an exception request to the Digital Accessibility Exception Review Panel.
Next steps
The Exception Review Panel is working to establish the review process. If you have questions about the process, or a product ready for an exception request, please send inquiries to digitalaccess@uw.edu.
More Information