EIR Accessibility

EIR Accessibility 

The EIR Technology Accessibility process is designed to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II, Texas Administrative Code 213 Subchapter C and other statutes/policies. We evaluate and recommend actions on requests for exceptions and educate the University Community on accessibility laws, policies, and best practices. 

The EIR Accessibility Specialist will request a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template).  This VPAT is completed and provided by the Information Resource vendor. 
The EIR Accessibility Specialist then uses a set of guidelines and criteria (product audience, scope of use, cost of software, etc.) to determine if further documentation and/or accessibility testing on the application is needed. 

Common Accessibility Issues 

• Incompatibility with screen readers and other commonly utilized assistive tools
• Accommodations for Motor Issues, Cognitive Disorders, Low Vision, Hearing Loss, Colorblindness, or Blindness
• Exploring other options that meet functionality requirements, have higher Accessibility Scores, and are comparable in cost 

VPAT 

What is a VPAT? 
A VPAT® is a form provided by the ITIC which is completed by a vendor or a developer to advise which of the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) criteria are supported and which are not supported. 

Why are WCAG criteria important? 
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) criteria are important because they ensure that the Information Resource is compatible with common assistive technologies utilized by those with disabilities. 

Why does UT Tyler need a VPAT? 
UT Tyler, like all State of Texas agencies, must comply with Texas Administrative Code Chapter 206 and 213 to ensure that electronic and information resources comply with the WCAG to ensure that the resource is accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities.

If UT Tyler decides to utilize a resource though it is not accessible, state mandated paperwork must be completed, approved and tracked. 

The State of Texas follows the guidelines invoked in Section 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act. 

Note: In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice published a new rule that elevates the minimum requirement for WCAG criteria from 2.0 A/AA to 2.1 A/AA. 

VPAT Information

VPAT Templates

The VPAT® templates are published by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC) and are free to download from itic.org.  There are four templates to choose from: 

• EU – Criteria includes WCAG 2.0, 2.1 and EN 301 549 2021-03 criteria.
• INT – Criteria includes WCAG 2.0, 2.1, 2.2 and Revised Section 508 1/22/2018, EN 301 549 209-11 and EN 301 549 2021-03 criteria.  
• Rev 508 – Criteria includes WCAG 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2 and Revised Section 508 1/22/2018 criteria  
• WCAG – Criteria includes WCAG 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2 criteria 

Which Templates to Use

Title II agencies are required to meet WCAG 2.1 A/AA guidelines for Web and Mobile Applications. 

Texas agencies are required to meet WCAG 2.0 guidelines for all Electronic and Information Resources. 

All of the VPAT® templates include the 2.0 criteria, so any will be accepted. 
Providing just Section 508 criteria is not acceptable for Texas agencies.

Vendor Instructions

ITIC has free, on-line VPAT® training videos available.  Also, ITIC has a YouTube channel with training videos available. 

Red Flags on VPATs®

• We may discount a VPAT® report if any of these red flags apply:
• The report is more than two years old
• The report is based on resource or general product knowledge but not actual testing or assessment. 
• The vendor requires a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to provide the report.
• Responses on the report are not logical.
• Responses on the report do not match our own assessment. 

Why Score a VPAT®?

It is necessary to have a scoring system to compare multiple resources and compare year over year progress towards accessibility.  In addition to a numerical score, we also apply a letter grade so that even if the numerical scale is updated, the letter grade can be compared year over year. 

How to Grade a VPAT®

The EIR Accessibility Coordinator at UTA developed an Excel scorecard for a VPAT®.  The EIR Accessibility Specialist at UT Tyler updated the scorecard to meet the requirements set forth by the institution. 

Contact eiraccessibility@uttyler.edu to request a copy of the scorecard. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Us 

For status updates or if additional information is requested, visit the UT Tyler HelpNow portal or email itsupport@uttyler.edu.  For further assistance, please contact David Christian at dchristian@uttyler.edu.