Process Overview

Background

The CSU Accessible Procurement Process was developed as a collaborative effort among six CSU campuses and the Chancellor’s Office as part of a system-wide effort to create a standardized procurement process that could be adopted or adapted by any one of the 23 CSU campuses.

The goal of this process is to purchase the most accessible product that meets the business needs of the University.

Integrated IT Purchase Review system

In 2014, Tom Siechert (Stanislaus) and the CSU ATI Director launched a proof of concept effort at Fresno. As a part of the proof of concept, Tom led development efforts for an integrated IT Purchase Review ("ITPR") system. The new system addressed a number of long standing challenges in the acquisition process (lack of details, use case information) and enabled campuses to adopt a holistic approach to reviews for accessibility, information security, and enterprise IT. Information captured by the ITPR system enables campuses to determine impact and triage review activities for the large numbers of IT purchases made each year.

In subsequent years, many campuses across the CSU system implemented integrated IT Purchase Review systems based on the proof of concept.

Process Goals

There are three primary goals of the Accessible Procurement process:

  1. Identify specific accessibility barriers
  2. Create equally effective alternate access plans (EEAAPs) that address providing access for partially accessible solutions
  3. Drive ICT product accessibility improvements through vendor collaboration, and the inclusion of binding, accessibility-specific language in contracts

Process Steps

There are four steps in the Accessible Procurement process:

  1. Gather information
  2. Review Information
  3. Review Accessibility
  4. Complete Procurement

Outcomes

Implementation of the CSU Accessible Procurement process has resulted in:

  1. Measurable improvements in native accessibility support for many ICT solutions
  2. A proactive and systematic approach to evaluate accessibility conformance prior to purchase
  3. Integration of accessibility review activities into campus IT and procurement processes
  4. Proactive planning to provide equally effective alternate access for partially accessible solutions
  5. Less reliance upon individualized accommodations to provide access to ICT solutions