About the Vendor Accessibility Guide
The Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) created this guide to help vendors understand the state’s accessibility requirements. We want to make it easier for Coloradans to use government services through accessible technology.
Colorado Accessibility Laws
In June 2021, Colorado passed a law requiring that all digital government information and technology be accessible to people with disabilities. This applies to all state and local government entities.
Accessibility Rules and Standards
The law is supported by rules and technical standards. These explain how government entities can comply with the law. For example, websites and apps must meet specific requirements, like meeting color contrast compliance and providing text alternatives for images.
- Read the rules: State Technology Accessibility Rules
- Read the technical standards: TS-OEA-001: Technology Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities
The technical standard includes the following elements:
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 conformance levels A and AA (W3C, WAI)
- Hardware that contains a user interface may also need to meet, as applicable, the technical standards as specified by US Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Chapter 4: Hardware (U.S. Access Board).
How This Affects Vendors
If you sell technology products or services to the State of Colorado, you must follow these rules. You need to be able to demonstrate that your products are accessible to people with disabilities.
Technology products include:
- Software, applications, and websites
- Multimedia content like images, video and audio
- Documents (e.g., Google formats, PDF, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, etc.)
Required Documentation
To show that your products are accessible, you must provide documentation to the state agency you’re working with. This includes:
- An Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR). This is a report that shows how your product meets accessibility standards. You can use a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template or VPAT (ITIC.org) to create this report.
- A description of the tools and methods you used to test your product for accessibility.
- A list of any accessibility issues you found, and a plan for fixing them.
- If you hired a third-party company to test your product, you must provide their report.
- Information about how your company is committed to accessibility.
Partial Compliance
We understand that it takes time to make products fully accessible. If your product isn’t fully compliant, you can still work with the state. You’ll need to show that you’re committed to making your product accessible and have a plan for fixing any issues. The agency may also require you to have your product evaluated by an acceptable third-party vendor.
How the State Evaluates Your Products
The state uses a process to evaluate how accessible your products are. This includes:
- Reviewing the documentation you provide, including answers to the Vendor Accessibility Checklist
- Talking to other people who have evaluated your product
- Testing your product themselves
- Asking you to get a third-party evaluation
Based on this evaluation, the state will give your product a risk score. A lower score means your product is more accessible.
More details on this process can be found in the OIT State of Colorado Procurement Toolkit.
Tips for Responding to the Vendor Accessibility Checklist
When you respond to the state’s questions about accessibility, keep these tips in mind:
- Make sure your documentation is accessible to people with disabilities.
- Explain how your company is committed to accessibility.
- If you don’t understand a question, ask for clarification.
- Be honest about where your product stands in terms of accessibility.
- Don’t include confidential information since your responses may be requested through the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA).
Accessibility in State Contracts
All state contracts for technology products and services will include language about accessibility. This means that you’ll be contractually required to make your products accessible.
Some negotiation is allowed on State Contract or Purchase Order Terms and Conditions, however, the State cannot indemnify vendors.
We’re Here to Help
The state is committed to working with vendors to make technology accessible for everyone. We understand that this can be a challenge, but we’re here to help.
If you have any questions, please contact us at oit_accessibility@state.co.us.
Additional Resources
State Agency Planning Resources
IT Accessibility Planning Guide
The IT Accessibility Planning Guide website is made available only to state agencies for the purpose of providing guidance, tools and updates that are relevant only to state agencies and their unique statutory requirements. The Technology Accessibility Program team (TAP) has made every effort to provide similar, relevant resources available to local government entities (see Local Government Resources).
Contact: oit_accessibility@state.co.us
Local Government Planning Resources
Accessibility Planning for Local Government, 2023 (Google Slides)
This presentation is designed to help local government teams understand their responsibilities and provide basic guidance for planning and operationalizing accessibility. Similar guidance can be found on the Accessibility Planning Core Criteria webpage.
- Colorado Laws for Persons with Disabilities
- Planning tools and guidance
- Links to more information and resources
Contact: oit_accessibility@state.co.us