According to the agency’s website, “DIR commissioned the training to help the private sector better understand the state’s digital accessibility requirements and required documentation when responding to DIR’s cooperative contracts solicitations.”
The training offers four online courses, which can be taken on demand and take 30 minutes to one hour to complete, said Marie Cohan, DIR’s statewide digital accessibility program administrator.
Courses offered through the training include:
- An introduction to digital accessibility
- Accessibility policy and guidelines (including Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Texas Administrative Code and revised Section 508 standards)
- Accessibility in IT procurement
- Required procurement form training, including voluntary product accessibility template (VPAT), vendor accessibility development services information request (VADSIR) and policy-driven adoption for accessibility (PDAA) self-assessment forms
“Vendors will have an introduction to digital accessibility, which includes user rights, disability categories and assistive technologies,” Cohan said. “The vendor training also focuses on state procurement policies and requirements, including required supporting documentation regarding the accessibility of products or services and an organization’s accessibility maturity.”
To sign up, vendors can email Cohan to create an Access Academy account.
