- From: Sailesh Panchang <sailesh.panchang@deque.com>
- Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2019 19:05:15 -0400
- To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Thanks all for your time and responses. Best wishes, Sailesh On 10/21/19, Mitchell Evan <mtchllvn@gmail.com> wrote: > More anecdotes... US-based ICT suppliers often do use the VPAT > International edition when they want to reach buyers in both the US and > Europe public sectors. Suppliers might be using VPAT for disclosure to > European buyers more often than a web search would suggest, because only a > small fraction of companies post their VPAT reports publicly (examples: > Microsoft > <https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/trust-center/compliance/accessibility>, > Adobe <https://www.adobe.com/accessibility/compliance.html>). Most > companies provide them directly to buyers on request. > > ...and more questions... > >> We have been doing business for more than two decades in Europe, > including many public sector bodies, and have never encountered anyone > asking for a VPAT document > > Joppe, what kinds of accessibility documentation do they request? > >> The term I would expect in a European context is "Supplier's Declaration > of Conformity" > > Christophe, this sounds reasonable. How common is it in practice, as a > means of accessibility disclosure to buyers? Searches for > "Konformitätserklärung" and "BITV" on ted.europa.eu yield few results. > > Thanks, > Mitchell > > Mitchell Evan > +1 (510) 375-6104 > mtchllvn@gmail.com > https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellrevan/ > > On Mon, Oct 21, 2019, 2:52 AM Joppe Kroon <J.Kroon@topdesk.com> wrote: > >> Hi Sailesh, >> >> >> >> Another anecdote, >> >> >> >> We have been doing business for more than two decades in Europe, >> including >> many public sector bodies, and have never encountered anyone asking for a >> VPAT document. >> >> Only since entering the American market we have had our first request for >> a VPAT. >> >> >> >> We found that there are several VPAT versions available, including an >> international VPAT where Section 508, WCAG 2.1, and EN 301 549 are all >> included. >> >> >> >> I think it is fair to say that a VPAT is not usually required in the EU, >> but I found the (full) VPAT helpful to collect all issues and cover all >> our >> bases. >> >> >> >> Cheers, >> >> Joppe >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> *From: *James A. <A.James@soton.ac.uk> >> *Sent: *Friday, October 18, 2019 8:17 PM >> *To: *Sailesh Panchang <sailesh.panchang@deque.com> >> *Cc: *Christophe Strobbe <strobbe@hdm-stuttgart.de>; w3c-wai-ig@w3.org >> *Subject: *Re: About VPAT usage in the EU >> >> >> From my experience with UK universities, VPATs cause more confusion than >> assistance as they are structured for the US regulatory framework. They >> create more questions than answers. >> >> Public sector organisations are increasingly asking vendors to provide >> details of compliance due to new regulations that make them responsible >> for >> the accessibility of 3rd party content on their digital platforms if they >> have paid for it. Organisation want vendors to provide details of what >> does and doesn't comply with WCAG 2.1 AA /en 301 549 so that they can add >> details to their accessibility statements. This includes description of >> accessibility limitations in layman’s terms for users to understand. >> There >> is growing interest in using Mandate 376 procurement toolkit based >> http://mandate376.standards.eu/standard which is based on EN 301 549. >> >> Best wishes >> >> Abi James >> >> University of Southampton >> AbilityNet >> >> >> On 16 Oct 2019, at 20:07, Sailesh Panchang <sailesh.panchang@deque.com> >> wrote: >> >> Thanks very much Christophe for the confirmation and the supporting >> details. >> Best wishes, >> Sailesh >> >> On 10/15/19, Christophe Strobbe <strobbe@hdm-stuttgart.de> wrote: >> >> Hi Sailesh >> >> >> On 10/10/19 19:31, Sailesh Panchang wrote: >> >> Is it customary in the EU to require ICT vendors to provide a VPAT >> >> to support an accessibility claim for ICT-product / service? >> >> In other words, do public sector bodies or corporations in the EU >> >> require a VPAT from their ICT vendors? >> >> >> The VPAT is something I only know from the context of Section 508 of the >> >> USA's Rehabilitation Act. >> >> When I searched a number of European top-level domains for VPAT >> >> (combined with the terms "accessibility" and "template"), I found >> >> companies and institutions that mention Section 508. I have listed a few >> >> examples below. >> >> >> The term I would expect in a European context is "Supplier's Declaration >> >> of Conformity", but since that is based on an ISO standard (ISO 17050), >> >> there is not specifically European about it. >> >> >> * University of Northampton: The Kaltura Accessibility statement: >> >> >> https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Faskus.northampton.ac.uk%2FLearntech%2Ffaq%2F188896&data=01%7C01%7Ca.james%40soton.ac.uk%7C4ed8f19d91a042752c8a08d7526c0955%7C4a5378f929f44d3ebe89669d03ada9d8%7C0&sdata=RKN5anthheQV5BawpxnEleB7Z%2BkBg6%2BKEA3Y8AmPn3w%3D&reserved=0 >> (Mentions WCAG 2.1 >> >> AA but not Section 508.) >> >> * ZenDesk: >> >> >> https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zendesk.co.uk%2Fcompany%2Fpolicies-procedures%2Faccessibility%2F&data=01%7C01%7Ca.james%40soton.ac.uk%7C4ed8f19d91a042752c8a08d7526c0955%7C4a5378f929f44d3ebe89669d03ada9d8%7C0&sdata=dZCYyRnUOlGyDMIVaRbSVZIns8ncP0A5QncDdyF2OOA%3D&reserved=0 >> >> (WCAG 2.0 and Section 508.) >> >> * PebblePad UK: >> >> >> https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.pebblepad.co.uk%2Fsupport%2Fsolutions%2Farticles%2F13000066857-pebblepad-voluntary-product-accessibility-template-&data=01%7C01%7Ca.james%40soton.ac.uk%7C4ed8f19d91a042752c8a08d7526c0955%7C4a5378f929f44d3ebe89669d03ada9d8%7C0&sdata=TwLh2F7RYeF1lPVGu4nDh3T6egjVPbh4bSzEksgeLmM%3D&reserved=0 >> >> (Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and WCAG 2.1 Levels A and AA.) >> >> * ARROW@TU Dublin: >> https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Farrow.dit.ie%2Faccessibility.html&data=01%7C01%7Ca.james%40soton.ac.uk%7C4ed8f19d91a042752c8a08d7526c0955%7C4a5378f929f44d3ebe89669d03ada9d8%7C0&sdata=kmfLmIkRuzVJwdfl%2Fm7E8qvTUd%2FWUQhQzMS2f892BiA%3D&reserved=0 >> (WCAG 2.0 >> >> Level AA and Section 508.) >> >> * SWORD - South West Open Research Deposit (Cork, Ireland): >> >> >> https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsword.cit.ie%2Faccessibility.html&data=01%7C01%7Ca.james%40soton.ac.uk%7C4ed8f19d91a042752c8a08d7526c0955%7C4a5378f929f44d3ebe89669d03ada9d8%7C0&sdata=rEYKBtkzGHYfMbNsap9RbIJ%2FmhNcCoX6Chnn6YSG%2Fio%3D&reserved=0 >> (WCAG 2.0 Level AA and Section >> >> 508.) >> >> * Communardo (German domain): >> >> >> https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.communardo.de%2Fdisplay%2FKB%2FAccessibility%2Bfor%2BConfluence%2BVPAT%2Bfor%2BSection%2B508%2Bcompliance&data=01%7C01%7Ca.james%40soton.ac.uk%7C4ed8f19d91a042752c8a08d7526c0955%7C4a5378f929f44d3ebe89669d03ada9d8%7C0&sdata=OMaGrDNEyjmNutL4ZLP8c%2BmMY1roLznJxsrykfRcBq4%3D&reserved=0 >> >> (Confluence is developed by the Australian company Atlassian.) >> >> >> Best regards, >> >> >> Christophe Strobbe >> >> >> -- >> >> Christophe Strobbe >> >> Akademischer Mitarbeiter >> >> Responsive Media Experience Research Group (REMEX) >> >> Hochschule der Medien >> >> Nobelstraße 10 >> >> 70569 Stuttgart >> >> Tel. +49 711 8923 2749 >> >> >> “I drink tea and I know things.” >> >> Falsely attributed to Christophe Lannister. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Sailesh Panchang >> Principal Accessibility Consultant >> Deque Systems Inc >> 381 Elden Street, Suite 2000, Herndon, VA 20170 >> Mobile: 571-344-1765 >> >> > -- Sailesh Panchang Principal Accessibility Consultant Deque Systems Inc 381 Elden Street, Suite 2000, Herndon, VA 20170 Mobile: 571-344-1765
Received on Thursday, 24 October 2019 23:05:20 UTC