Accessibility - Digital Resource Accessibility Exception Request form instructions

The Digital Resource Accessibility Exception Request form will need to be completed for any Digital Resources which are not in full compliance with state and federal digital accessibility laws. This applies to those used, created, or materially changed by Texas A&M University personnel.

An exception request form may be needed:

• in order to procure or acquire Digital Resources (regardless of cost), or
• to bring an existing Digital Resource into compliance.
   

When Next Steps from submission of the Review Routing form indicate an exception request is necessary (or when the ITA team indicates an exception request is warranted), the following instructions will be helpful in completing the required exception request form.

Tips and information

• Please read these instructions thoroughly before completing the electronic form; knowing required information in advance will save time and possible data entry errors.
• Answer all questions completely; failure to do so will result in processing delays.
• You will be able to save a draft to allow completion at a later time; however, you must remember the password you establish, or you will not be able to access the draft.
• If you have trouble accessing the electronic form, contact the ITA team.

It is helpful to obtain the following as early in the process as possible:

• Products only: an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)/Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT); specific to the product/version and completed by the vendor
• Services only: a Vendor Accessibility Development Services Information Request (VADSIR) form; completed by the vendor/service provider for design, development, or other digital services
• If the above cannot be obtained: provide other credible evidence of the capability of parties to produce accessible Digital Resources; this includes, but is not limited to Accessibility Statements, Compliance Road Maps, internal vendor or service provider documentation, etc.
• Sole-source documentation (if applicable): completed and signed

Purpose of form

All websites and web applications, hardware, software, and other Digital Resources must comply with IT Accessibility Regulations. If achieving compliance with these standards is not possible, the Digital Resource Accessibility Exception Request form must be submitted for non-compliant Digital Resources and be approved by the President of Texas A&M University, or designee. 

The process

Once the electronic form is completed and submitted, these steps will occur:

1. Review by the ITA team who may verify or gather additional information.
2. Review by the Texas A&M Digital Accessibility Officer, who provides recommendations and risk mitigation strategies.
3. Review by your respective dean, vice president, or unit approver.
4. Review by the President, or designee.

You will receive email notifications throughout the process, as will the person you designate as the Digital Resource Owner/Administrator if you are filling out the form on another’s behalf.
 

Form instructions

Most items are required fields.

Requester information

• Enter your Name, Phone and Email address.
• Are you the Digital Resource owner or administrator? Select Yes or No. (Digital Resource owner or administrator – A Texas A&M employee who determines controls for and oversees the development, acquisition, and/or use of Digital Resources supporting a particular business function.)
  • If Yes, continue to the next question.
  • If No, please indicate the Digital Resource Owner/Administrator Name and Email in the subsequent form fields. 
    This person should be a Texas A&M employee or affiliate, not company representatives. The individual indicated will receive all pertinent automated communications including request status and eventual exception expiration notification.
• Request Date: The current date will be auto-populated.
• College/Division/Administrative Unit: Using the drop-down menu, choose the name of your college, division or administrative unit. 
  Please read and select carefully, as this will determine routing to your respective dean, vice president, or unit approver. Making an incorrect selection could result in delays.
• Department/Center/Team: Fill in your specific department, center or team information; this will aid in determining the scope for which the exception can be approved. Please do not use abbreviations or acronyms.
  This will aid in determining the scope for which the exception can be approved.
• Alternate Contacts: Indicate business and/or technical contacts related to this request and the best way to contact them. 
  The ITA team may contact those noted when technical questions arise.

Digital Resource information

• Digital Resource Name: Please take care to verify and provide the actual product or service name.
• Version (or indicate if continuous integration or in-house development): This may be numerical identifiers (e.g., 2-4-13, 2.413, 2.4_13) or text based (e.g., Orlando). If there is no known version identifier, enter "continuous integration."
• Manufacturer (or department if in-house development): In the case of the previous computer model example, Dell would be the manufacturer.
• Please describe the Digital Resource and its capabilities for meeting your business needs.
• Product Website: Include the specific URL for the product, or a plan for deployment if in-house development.
  A common mistake is providing a URL to the manufacturer's website, to a training guide, or to companion material. We are looking for the URL to the specific product.
• Digital Resource Type: From choices listed on the form, check all that apply, or choose Other and enter a description of the Digital Resource type, if not already listed.
• What is the Digital Resource used for? From choices listed on the form, check all that apply.
• Who is the Digital Resource used by? From choices listed on the form, check all that apply.
• Approximately how many people will use this Digital Resource during the next 12 months? Using the drop-down menu, choose the numerical range of Digital Resource users.
• Will anyone be required to use this Digital Resource? For example, required for students to complete course requirements, required for employees to complete a job duty, etc. Select Yes or No.
• Is this Digital Resource provided by a company or source other than the manufacturer or developer; i.e., a third-party vendor? A third-party vendor is usually a company that does not manufacture the product, but instead supplies or distributes the product.
  For example, Amazon is a third-party vendor for many of the products within their application. Customers purchase from Amazon, rather than directly from the manufacturers.
• Does this involve special pricing with an expiration? Select Yes or No.
• Is this a contract renewal with a time-sensitive renewal date? Select Yes or No.
• Has a sole source justification been approved for procurement of this Digital Resource? Select Yes, No, or Existing or in-house resource; no procurement involved
• If Yes, a completed, fully signed copy of the sole source document MUST be uploaded within the Supporting Documents section.
• If No, you will be prompted to answer the following question:
  • List other resources which were considered and vetted for accessibility prior to selecting this Digital Resource. If no other Digital Resources are capable of fulfilling the business need, indicate “Marketplace exception.”
    Important: This answer is reserved ONLY for the other products vetted to meet the business need, like Product X or Product Y. If no other products were vetted, indicate "Marketplace exception," along with a reason why additional product vetting did not occur. 

Justification for exception

• Why are you requesting this exception? From choices listed, check all that apply. The first selection is auto-filled and cannot be unchecked.
  • Fundamental alteration of programs, services, or activities of your unit and/or the university
  • Nearing end of life cycle, decommissioning: The Digital Resource is nearing its end of life, or its useful purpose, so the return on investment for the cost to bring the Digital Resource into compliance does not warrant remediation.
  • No acceptable alternatives are capable of fulfilling the academic/business need: After research of comparable products, it has been determined that an accessible Digital Resource which accomplishes the particular business need of the university is not available.
• If your unit could not use this resource, what would be the specific impact to your unit or the individuals being served? Your response should outline how not using this product would fundamentally alter programs, activities, and/or services the unit or the university provides to students, university personnel, and/or those we serve. Be as specific as possible in your statement in order to provide justification to leadership for the exception.
   

• For this non-compliant digital resource, select all that apply:
  • It is nearing end-of-life and will no longer be used after a certain period
    You will be prompted to Indicate the anticipated date after which the Digital Resource will no longer be used.
  • It will eventually be replaced with a compliant or more compliant product
    You will be prompted to indicate the anticipated date for replacement.
  • We will continue to use this product.
    You will be prompted to indicate when the product will be WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliant. You should make every effort to obtain an accurate date from the vendor.
• Provide supporting information about the vendor's commitment to digital accessibility compliance as found in their accessibility statement, roadmap, or website. This could be additional information from the vendor including accessibility statements provided online by the manufacturer, developer or vendor; accessibility testing results; the company road map to compliance, etc.
• Next Contract End Date
  This is the date on which the NEW contract or agreement will be set to expire, NOT the expiration of the current contract, if any.
• Supporting documents
  • Requester must attempt to secure, then upload:
    • For products only - an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)/completed VPAT specific to the product and version
    • For vendor-provided services only (like website or application design and development) - a vendor-completed VADSIR form
    • For products or services - if the previous documents cannot be obtained, other credible evidence of the capability of parties to produce accessible Digital Resources; this includes, but is not limited to Accessibility Statements, Compliance Road Maps, internal vendor or service provider documentation, etc.
  • Sole-source documentation should also be uploaded here.

Alternative means for access

• How will you provide a similar experience for people with disabilities who cannot use this Digital Resource? (Examples are: providing a timely and comparable alternative, facilitating assistance from vendors, purchasing appropriate assistive technologies, contacting Human Resources for accommodation recommendations, etc.) Indicate an alternative means of access which can quickly be leveraged to provide access for someone with a disability. Some standard language which can be utilized: 
  • When an accommodation is requested, [UNIT NAME] personnel will collaborate with the individual and, as appropriate, will contact University Human Resources or Disability Resources to determine the best means of providing a comparable experience. Time and expense are dependent upon the specific accommodation.
• How will you notify people who use this Digital Resource that an alternative means of access is available? State the method of communicating the availability of accommodations (e.g., providing information on a website, including accommodation information within course syllabi, listing within routinely distributed unit or program information)
• Who will own the process for providing this alternative means of access? This should be someone within your unit who can quickly facilitate the alternative means of access previously documented; please provide all pertinent contact information.
  • The requester identified at the beginning of this form; yourself, if you’re filling out the form.
  • Other: You will be asked to provide the name and contact information of the person who will own the process. Include a phone number and email address.

Administrative approvals

• The Dean/VP approver field will eventually be completed by your respective dean or vice president, so skip this area.
• Select Submit to route your request or Save as Draft to allow completion later.
  • If you Submit, you will receive a copy of the information you entered via email. 
  • If you Save as Draft, you must remember the password you establish, or you will not be able to access it later.