Frequently Asked Questions Related to Purchasing

The following are questions have been asked related to the implementation of the Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act.

FAQ 1: What if vendors will not respond to RFPs because of the accessibility requirements?

Vendors should be encouraged to to apply even if they do not meet all of the requirements of IITAA. Vendors should be encouraged to fill out compliance templates to highlight where their products do comply with IITAA, features that could comply with minor modifications and features that could only comply with extensive modifications. The vendor could also indicate whether they plan to improve their compliance to IITAA in future releases of the product and if they are willing to work with state agencies to learn more about accessibility. The vendor could also state whether they test their products with people with disabilities.

FAQ 2: Can a product be purchased if it does not comply with IITAA accessibility requirements?

Off the shelf or existing products can be purchased even if they do not comply with IITAA accessibility requirements, as long as other products that comply or have a higher level of compliance with IITAA requirements are not available at the time of purchase. All RFP and contracts need to include the statement that IITAA compliance is an important feature that will be used in evaluation products and more accessible products will be purchased if all other features are equal.

Contracts for the design or redesign of web and software resources must comply with IITAA requirements, the act specifically states that all new designs or extensive updates to web and software resources must comply with IITAA requirements. It is not difficult or costly to implement IITAA requirements at design time, and can even save money in the long run using best practices based on web standards. But it is critical that vendors build in IITAA compliance during the design stage and not wait until a web site or software program is almost complete before considering accessibility.

FAQ 3: What if the more accessible product costs significantly more than the less accessible or inaccessible product?

There is no specific cost consideration for compliance with IITAA, but there is an undue burden clause stating that if accessible products are not available or the cost of the accessible product exceeds the resources available then less accessible products can be purchased. It is important to note that the purpose of IITAA is not to stop information technologies from being purchased, but to insure that products that are purchased are accessible.

Since many vendors have not considered accessibility in their product designs, their products are unlikely to fully comply with IITAA requirements, or vendors may significantly inflate their prices and bids to cover an unknown cost to bring their current product into compliance with IITAA. In this situation vendors who do not comply with IITAA requirements, but are willing to improve their compliance with IITAA in future versions and maintenance releases should be given preference over companies who will not make these commitments.

FAQ 4: What if the more accessible product has less features as defined in the RFP?

In general a product that meets IITAA requirements and meets the minimum required functional features of the RFP or contract should be purchased over less accessible products. Products that do not meet the minimum functional requirements of the specification do not have to be considered, even if they do meet IITAA accessibility requirements. The only exception maybe be if the vendor with more features commits to implementing IITAA requirements within a reasonable period of time of being awarded the contract.

FAQ 5: What if the company does not provide any information about the accessibility of their product?

If a vendor does not provide any information about their compliance with IITAA it should be assumed the vendor does not comply with any of the IITAA accessibility requirements for purposes of product comparison. All vendors should be encouraged to submit information on IITAA compliance, even if they do not meet all of the accessibility requirements.

FAQ 6: Can I ask vendors to demonstrate the accessibility features of their products?

Asking vendors to demonstrate the accessibility features of their products is probably the best way to understand how much vendors understand accessible design and the amount of thought and effort they have committed to accessible design. A part of all vendor demonstrations should include highlighting the accessibility features of the product in relation to IITAA compliance.

FAQ 7: How can I involve people with disabilities in evaluating products for accessibility features?

Including people with disabilities in product purchasing decision making is an excellent way to highlight the need for accessible design to vendors if they know people with disabilities will be reviewing their product. People with disabilities can be recruited from disability service offices and campus committees on that advise administers on disability access and equal opportunity issues.

Evaluation by people with disabilities is a great way to test the functional accessibility of products for a true comparison of how usable a product will be to people with disabilities.

It is not possible for all products to be tested by people with disabilities or all types of disabilities to test every product before purchasing, but products that impact the general public or are intended for use by all employees or students should try to include at least some testing by employees or student with disabilities. Disability service offices and ADA coordinators can be contacted to help identify students and staff with disabilities who would be willing to evaluate products for accessibility or serve on purchasing committees.

FAQ 8: What if the product is found not to meet the vendor's claims of accessibility?

If a vendor claims of accessibility of a product are found to be false or incomplete after it is purchased, this can happen when a person with a disability starts using the product, it should be pointed out to the vendor and the vendor should fix the problems at no additional cost to the purchasing unit within in a reasonable amount of time.