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Accessible Technology

Digital Product Accessibility Reviews

Before using, purchasing, or renewing a web application or digital service, it’s important to ensure that it meets the UW Minimum Digital Accessibility Technical Standard. The digital product accessibility review process helps people evaluate accessibility and meet compliance requirements.

Before you start

  1. You do not need to submit products that are in the UW Software Catalog (UWare). They have already been submitted for review by UWIT.
  2. You only need to submit websites that are interactive. If your product is a website that is primarily designed to communicate information—allowing users to read, watch, learn, or explore content—see Making websites accessible to ensure it is accessible.
  3. Identify your Product Owner. They are the main person responsible for the product. They understand what it does, its features, and who uses it, and ensure that it meets accessibility requirements.

Steps

A Product Accessibility Review can include up to seven steps.

Most steps are only needed if the product has accessibility problems or is considered a high risk for the University.

  1. Submit a Review Form
  2. Scope and Risk Review
  3. Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) and Roadmap Review
  4. Product Testing
  5. Request an Exception
  6. Provisional Approval
  7. Exception Request

Step 1.  Submit a Review Form

The Digital Product Accessibility Review form is filled out by the Product Owner. A Product Owner is the primary person managing how the product is used.

Questions include:

  • How the product is used
  • Who has access to it
  • How may people use it

Next Steps

Proceed to Step 2. Scope and Risk Review.

Step 2.  Scope and Risk Review

Civil Right Compliance (CRC) staff review the Digital Product Accessibility 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

Step 3.  ACR and Roadmap Review

Products with medium or high risk must have a higher level of review. UWIT Accessible Technology Services (ATS) will review the vendor’s Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) and accessibility roadmap to determine if the product is accessible.

ACR and Roadmap Review evaluates both documents for accuracy, completeness, and representation of the product’s actual accessibility.

What you’ll get

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

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.

Baseline 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 Baseline Manual Accessibility Test.

A Baseline 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.

Extended 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 an Extended Manual Accessibility Test.

An Extended 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

ATS will send the Product Owner:

  • An Accessibility Test Score of “Pass” or “Fail”
    • To pass, the product must fully meet the UW Minimum Digital Accessibility Technical Standard.
  • Findings and recommendations providing details for why the product received its score

Next steps

Step 5.  Request an Exception

The Digital Product Accessibility Exception Request form should be completed by the product owner.

The Digital Product Accessibility Review Exception Panel meets twice monthly to review exception requests. They evaluate the exception request, along with the findings from previous steps.

Decision criteria may include:

  • Risk level
  • Severity of accessibility issues
  • Whether the product is required to meet statutory obligations
  • Whether there is no other product that meets business or instructional needs
  • Whether developers demonstrate a path to remediate accessibility issues

What you’ll get

The Exception Panel will:

  • Determine if products qualify to be used with provisional approval
  • Set provisional requirements and expiration dates for qualified products

Next Steps

Step 6. Provisional Approval

Provisional Approval means that the product may be used, within a clear set of criteria.

What you’ll get

With Provisional Approval, the Product Owner will receive documentation that includes:

  • Confirmation that the product has provisional approval to be used.
  • Criteria for how the product may be used within that approval.
  • An expiration date when the product will need to be reviewed again.

Next steps

  • Ensure that the criteria for how the product may be used are met.
  • If the product is currently in use, continue to use it.
  • If the product is currently being acquired or renewed, include the Provisional Approval documentation with relevant procurement specialists, so they may be used to support contract negotiation.
    • Note: Products with Provisional Approval are still required to include an Accessibility Rider in their contracts
  • When the approval expiration date is approaching, CRC staff will contact the product owner to start a new Product Accessibility Review.

Step 7.  Exceptions from the CIO

If a product does not qualify for provisional approval, the CIO determines if the product meets the criteria for an Exception to the Minimum Digital Accessibility Technical Standard.

What you’ll get

The Product Owner will receive documentation of the CIO’s decision.

With an approved Exception, the documentation includes:

  • Confirmation that the product has an exception
  • Criteria for how the product may be used within that exception
  • An expiration date, when the product will need to be reviewed again

Next steps if an exception request is NOT approved

  • The product may not be used.

Next steps if an exception request is approved

  • Ensure that the criteria for how the product may be used are met.
  • If the product is currently in use, continue to use it.
  • If the product is currently being acquired or renewed, include the Exception documentation with relevant procurement specialists, so they may be used to support contract negotiation.
    • Note: Products with Exceptions are still required to include an Accessibility Rider in their contracts.
  • When the Exception expiration date is approaching, CRC staff will contact the product owner to start a new Product Accessibility Review.

Related Policy, Standard, and Procedures

Need help?

If you have a question related to a Digital Product Accessibility Review process that already has an open UW Connect ticket, please send a message through UW Connect to reach the appropriate staff managing your Review.

If you have questions about the Digital Product Accessibility Review process that are not tied to an open ticket, please contact digitalaccess@uw.edu.