Accessibility Documentation
All federal and state agencies require ICT products and services to be reviewed for digital accessibility compliance. This includes institutions of higher education.
For Texas agencies, this includes the following technical accessibility standards:
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG): WCAG 2.1 AA is referenced in Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and WCAG 2.0 AA is referenced Texas Administrative Code (TAC) chapters 206 and 213
- Revised 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines, Chapter 4: Hardware: Section 508 is referenced in TAC 213
The review must be done whether the ICT is procured, developed, maintained, or used by the agency. To do that review, we ask you to provide appropriate accessibility documentation.
Appropriate accessibility documentation
There are two routes based on ICT development:
Supplemental accessibility documentation
Supplemental accessibility documentation does not determine ICT accessibility compliance. It informs us of the maturity of an organization's digital accessibility program.
Public information
Accessibility documentation is public information.
- It is publicly available because it is required to make important acquisition decisions.
- It is available for people with disabilities, digital accessibility advocates, and public entities to review.
- It is available for regulatory agencies to review in audits.
- No trade secrets or confidential information should be included in accessibility documentation.
- Workarounds and accommodations are built around this information.
It should not be an undue burden to request this documentation.
- There should be no non-disclosure agreements.
- There should be no authentication requirements.
- There should be no payment requirements.
Accessibility conformance reports should be made publicly available on third-party provider websites. See SHI's list of partner compliance links for good and bad examples.
Third-party providers should include accurate information in their accessibility documentation. False claims of accessibility affect future acquisition opportunities.
People with disabilities will note access barriers publicly. Consulting firms and other members of the global community have aided in their review. See the Library Accessibility Alliance for examples.