Supplier Communications
The text below was sent to all current suppliers who do business with University of Washington on February 18, 2025.
RE: ADA Digital Accessibility Conformance Requirement
Valued Suppliers, Vendors and Contractors,
Thank you for your ongoing partnership with the University of Washington. As part of our commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, we are reaching out to discuss the need for digital accessibility compliance.
Recent regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services require that all public institutions, including universities, achieve compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards by April 24, 2026. This ensures that digital experiences are accessible to all, including individuals with disabilities, across various platforms like websites, mobile applications, and third-party services.
While these rules apply directly to the University, we are accountable for the compliance of the digital content provided through third-party services and therefore can only continue to partner with vendors who support us in meeting these standards.
If you are not a provider of technology solutions to the University of Washington, this letter may not apply to you, and you may review it for informational purposes only. If you are a technology solution provider to the University, we ask that you review this letter carefully to gain an understanding of the requirements as stated herein.
Impact on Our Partnership
Given the importance of your products in our environment, we need to understand whether they meet or will meet these accessibility standards. We ask that you confirm which products align with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards to avoid any disruption to our partnership or the need to seek alternatives ahead of the compliance deadline.
Next Steps and Requested Actions
To support us in meeting this requirement, we ask that you do the following by 07/01/2025 (Note: There is no need to submit documentation at this time, and instructions for submitting this documentation will be provided in a future communication):
- Create an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) for each applicable product or service, using the latest Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). The ACR should document the extent to which your product or service meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Third-party evaluations are encouraged.
- If the ACR includes criteria on which your product or service either “Does not support” or “Supports with exceptions” (i.e., areas in which your product or service does not currently meet accessibility standards) a roadmap should be provided indicating your plan for resolving these issues.
- For additional guidance, we recommend reviewing the Big Ten Academic Alliance's Digital Accessibility Vendor Cookbook, which outlines strategies and best practices for digital accessibility in vendor-provided systems.
If you are not the right contact for this request, please forward this communication to the appropriate person or provide their contact information by emailing supplierask@uw.edu.
We appreciate your attention to this matter as we work together toward a more accessible and inclusive digital experience for all. If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Thank you again for your support,
Andreas Bohman
Vice President for UW Information Technology and CIO
Please see the Frequently Asked Questions for additional information, including the specific products or services the compliance requirement applies to, planning and reporting, and additional resources.