EIR Accessibility Requirements and Tools
Everyone plays a part – students, faculty, and staff. If you create documents, such as Word, PowerPoint, or PDF, produce videos, design or publish web content, or select technology tools, you share responsibility for ensuring our online content is accessible.
ADA Title II requires public entities, including UTHealth Houston as a state institution, to ensure that all programs, services, and activities are accessible to individuals with disabilities. This requirement applies equally to digital content and technologies, including websites, learning management systems, documents, software, mobile applications, and third-party tools.
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Tools and Testing
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iLearn
- Accessibility learning pathways from LinkedIn learning courses
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Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
- The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 provide a comprehensive set of recommendations for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)
UTHealth Houston is committed to ensuring that all products developed, purchased, or used by the institution are accessible to faculty, students, and staff, including individuals with disabilities. To achieve this, decision-makers involved in product procurement must consider accessibility as a key criterion.
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What is a VPAT?
It’s a standardized document used to report how accessible a product is according to accessibility standards. The document is completed by the vendor or developer to indicate which Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) criteria the product supports and which it does not.
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Why is a VPAT needed?
UTHealth Houston, like all State of Texas agencies, must comply with Texas Administrative Code (TAC) 206 and 213, which require that electronic and information resources meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure accessibility for everyone, including individuals with disabilities. If a resource is determined to be not accessible, specific documentation must be completed, approved, and tracked.
The State of Texas also follows the accessibility standards outlined in Section 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act. In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a new rule that sets the minimum accessibility standard at WCAG 2.1 Level A/AA.
VPAT Templates
Templates are available for free download on the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) website at itic.org. They help vendors communicate their product's accessibility features and assist purchasers in evaluating whether products meet necessary accessibility requirements:
- VPAT 2.5 Rev EU (November 2023)
- VPAT 2.5 INT (November 2023)
- VPAT 2.5 508 (November 2023)
- VPAT 2.5 WCAG (November 2023)
- VPAT Change Tracking (November 2023)
In Texas, it’s recommended to use VPAT 2.5 WCAG (November 2023)