CPACC Procurement and Accessibility 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A government agency is evaluating bids for a new HR software system. Which document should vendors be required to submit to demonstrate accessibility compliance?
- A security audit report
- An Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) based on VPAT (Correct answer)
- A general product overview brochure
- A list of supported operating systems
Correct answer: An Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) based on VPAT
An Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), typically using the VPAT template, is the standard document used to evaluate a vendor's accessibility claims against WCAG and other standards.
Question 2: Under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which type of organization is primarily obligated to procure accessible ICT?
- Any company with more than 500 employees
- Federal agencies and departments (Correct answer)
- State-funded universities only
- Private companies that receive no federal funding
Correct answer: Federal agencies and departments
Section 508 applies to U.S. federal agencies, requiring them to procure, develop, and maintain ICT that is accessible to people with disabilities.
Question 3: A procurement team finds that no vendor can fully meet all WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria. What is the recommended best practice?
- Cancel the procurement and build a custom solution
- Select the vendor with the best overall accessibility and require a remediation plan (Correct answer)
- Award the contract to the lowest bidder regardless of accessibility
- Waive accessibility requirements for this purchase permanently
Correct answer: Select the vendor with the best overall accessibility and require a remediation plan
When no product is fully conformant, best practice is to select the most accessible option and negotiate a remediation roadmap as part of the contract.
Question 4: Which WCAG 2.1 conformance level is most commonly required in U.S. federal procurement contracts?
- Level A only
- Level AA (Correct answer)
- Level AAA
- Level A and AAA combined
Correct answer: Level AA
WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the standard conformance level referenced in Section 508 and most U.S. federal and state procurement requirements.
Question 5: A vendor's VPAT claims full conformance with WCAG 2.1 AA for their product. What should a procurement officer do before accepting this claim?
- Immediately award the contract based on the VPAT alone
- Conduct independent testing or request third-party audit results to verify the claims (Correct answer)
- Assume the VPAT is accurate since vendors are legally bound by it
- Only check if the VPAT was filed in the last 10 years
Correct answer: Conduct independent testing or request third-party audit results to verify the claims
VPATs are self-reported and not independently verified, so procurement officers should validate claims through independent testing or third-party audits.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of a 'fundamental alteration' exception in accessibility procurement?
- Adding captions to training videos
- Providing a screen-reader-compatible version of a data dashboard
- Changing the core algorithm of a real-time stock trading system to accommodate audio output (Correct answer)
- Offering keyboard navigation in a web application
Correct answer: Changing the core algorithm of a real-time stock trading system to accommodate audio output
A fundamental alteration exception applies when an accessibility modification would change the essential nature of a product or service, such as altering the core function of a real-time trading system.
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of including accessibility requirements in a Request for Proposal (RFP)?
- To increase competition among vendors
- To signal to vendors upfront that accessibility conformance is a mandatory evaluation criterion (Correct answer)
- To reduce the total cost of the procurement
- To comply with marketing regulations
Correct answer: To signal to vendors upfront that accessibility conformance is a mandatory evaluation criterion
Including accessibility requirements in an RFP ensures vendors understand that accessibility is a scored, mandatory criterion before they invest in preparing a bid.
CPACC Procurement and Accessibility 4
A government agency is evaluating bids for a new HR software system.
Which document should vendors be required to submit to demonstrate accessibility compliance?