Policy Driven Adoption for Accessibility (PDAA) - Vendor Self-assessment

Instructions: The PDAA is an assessment for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) accessibility (also known as Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) accessibility). Vendors should describe how they are currently implementing accessibility policy and practices within their organizations. Please complete this form by checking a box for each topic that most closely match the current state of your organization. A completed example is available using the "Example" tab of the worksheet. This assessment is not a substitute for and is independent of other requested accessibility documentation (e.g., ACRs and VADSIRs). For questions or additional information, please contact: statewideaccessibility@dir.texas.gov.

Organization Information

Name: FloodMapp USA Inc

Address: 1630 Welton St, STE 934, Denver, CO 80202

My organization is a (choose one or more if applicable)

Manufacturer: My organization sells a commercial product or an as-a-service application we built
Integrator: My organization provides solutions with a combination of commercial products, as-a-service applications, and customization services

For each criteria statement, please enter in the shaded fields the number corresponding to the statement in each grouping that is most relevant to your organization today.

Responses

1. Develop, implement, and maintain an ICT accessibility policy.

0 My organization has no plan to have an ICT accessibility policy. (If selected, skip to next section or provide comments at the end of this section)
1a. Having an ICT accessibility policy.
1 My organization is developing an ICT accessibility policy.
3 My organization has approved an ICT accessibility policy.
2 My organization is finalizing an ICT accessibility policy.

1b. Having appropriate plans in place to implement and maintain the policy.
1 My organization is developing plans to implement our ICT accessibility policy and ensure that it is maintained.
2 My organization has completed planning for initial implementation and maintenance of our accessibility policy.
3 My organization has approved plans for accessibility policy implementation and maintenance.

1c. Establishing metrics and tracking progress towards achieving compliance to the policy.
1 My organization is identifying metrics that can be used to gauge policy compliance.
2 My organization is collecting metrics and has begun designing progress reporting based on them.

Section 1 Comments (Provide any comments or additional information on this section here.)

2. Establish and maintain an organizational structure that enables and facilitates progress in ICT accessibility.

0 My organization has no plan to develop a governance system to support ICT accessibility. (If selected, skip to next section or provide comments at the end of this section)

2a. Developing an organization wide governance system.

1 My organization is investigating opportunities to improve organization wide governance for ICT accessibility.

2 My organization is finalizing plans that will result in an organization wide governance system.

3 My organization has approved plans for an organization wide governance system.

2b. Designating one or more individuals responsible for implementation.
2 My organization has identified key individuals in the implementation process.
3 My organization has assigned implementation duties and responsibilities to appropriate individuals.

2c. Implementing reporting/decision mechanism and maintain records.
1 My organization is developing tools and procedures for tracking ICT accessibility issues.
2 My organization is tracking and keeping records of ICT accessibility reporting and decisions.
3 My organization uses reports to make organizational changes to improve ICT accessibility.

Section 2 Comments (Provide any comments or additional information on this section here.)

3. Integrate ICT accessibility criteria into key phases of development, procurement, acquisitions, and other relevant business processes.

Manufacturers: Address processes that pertain to your development of ICT products.
Service providers: Address processes that pertain to your development of ICT services.
Integrators: Address processes that pertain to your ICT integration services and solutions.
Catalog Vendor/Reseller: Address processes that pertain to your reseller or catalogue offerings.

0 My organization has no plan to integrate accessibility criteria into key business processes. (If selected, skip to next section or provide comments at the end of this section.)
3a. Identifying candidate processes for criteria integration.

1 My organization has a plan to identify and evaluate its key business processes for accessibility gaps.
2 My organization has evaluated its key business processes for accessibility gaps and is developing plans to better integrate accessibility criteria into these processes.
3 My organization has approved plans to integrate accessibility criteria into these processes.

3b. Implementing process changes.
1 My organization has begun modifying its key business processes to integrate accessibility criteria.
2 My organization has completed accessibility criteria modification for some of its key business processes and has begun using these modified processes.
3 My organization has completed accessibility criteria modification for most of its key business processes and has begun using these modified processes.

3c. Integrate fully into all key processes.
2 My organization has fully integrated accessibility criteria into all of its key business processes and is using these processes to improve the accessibility of its product / service offerings.
3 My organization has fully integrated accessibility criteria ACROSS its key business processes and is using these integrated processes to improve the accessibility of its product / service offerings.

Section 3 Comments (Provide any comments or additional information on this section here.)

4. Provide processes for addressing inaccessible ICT.

Manufacturers: Address processes that pertain to your development of ICT products in 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d.
Service providers: Address processes that pertain to your development of ICT services in 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d.
Integrators: Address processes that pertain to your ICT integration services and solutions in 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d.
Catalogue Vendor/Reseller: Address processes that pertain to your reseller or catalogue offerings in 4e.

0 We do not have plans to provide processes for bringing ICT developed and sold by our organization into accessibility compliance. (If selected, skip to next section or provide comments at the end of this section.)

4a. Creating plans that include dates for compliance of inaccessible ICT.
1 We are developing plans to identify and test ICT developed and sold by our organization.
2 We have begun identifying and testing for accessibility in ICT products / services developed and sold by our organization and are developing plans that include dates for bringing inaccessible ICT into compliance.
3 We perform accessibility testing on all products / serviced developed and sold by our organization, and have plans in place that include dates for bringing inaccessible ICT into compliance.

4b. Providing alternate means of access until the ICT is accessible.
0 We do not have plans for providing alternate means of access for our organization's ICT offerings.
1 We are developing plans for providing alternate means of access for our organization's ICT offerings.
2 We are implementing methods providing alternate means of access for our organization's ICT offerings.
3 We have fully implemented a repeatable process for providing alternate means for our organization's ICT offerings.

4c. Implementing a corrective actions process(s) for handling accessibility technical issues and defects
1 We are developing a corrective actions process for handling accessibility technical issues and defects.
2 We are implementing a corrective actions process for handling accessibility technical issues and defects.
3 We have fully implemented an integrated corrective actions process for handling accessibility technical issues and defects.

4d. Maintaining records of identified inaccessible ICT, corrective action, and tracking.
1 We plan to develop a record keeping system for tracking the accessibility status of current and future products / services.
2 We have a record keeping system for tracking the accessibility status of current and future products / services.
1 We plan to develop a record keeping process for corrective action tracking and handling of accessibility related issues / defects.
2 We have a record keeping process for corrective action tracking and handling of accessibility related issues / defects.
3 We have a record keeping system for tracking the accessibility status of current and future products / services and use this system to improve the accessibility of our offerings.
3 We have a record keeping process for corrective action tracking and handling of accessibility related issues / defects and use this system to improve the accessibility of our offerings.

1 We have a plan to develop a record keeping system for obtaining and tracking accessibility documentation for vendor products and services offered through our organization.

4e. Maintaining records of identified inaccessible ICT, corrective action, and tracking. (Catalogue Vendor/Reseller only)

2 We have a record keeping system for obtaining and tracking accessibility documentation for vendor products and services offered through our organization.
We have a record keeping system for obtaining and tracking accessibility documentation for vendor products and services offered through our organization, and use this system to improve the accessibility of our 3 offerings.

5. Ensure the availability of relevant ICT accessibility skills within (or to) the organization.

0 We do not have plans in place to define, identify existing, or acquire ICT accessibility skills. (If selected, skip to next section or provide comments at the end of this section.)

5a. Defining skills/job descriptions.

1 We have defined general skills and knowledge needs for ICT accessibility.

Section 4 Comments (Provide any comments or additional information on this section here.)

We have identified the fields of practice that require at least some level of accessibility knowledge and/or skills (examples include, but are not limited to: product manager, project manager, product/system designer, 2 application architect, application developer, quality assurance tester, and /or training/instructional designer.)

3 We have mapped key accessibility skills and knowledge needs to specific fields of practice.

5b. Identifying existing resources that match up and address gaps.

2 We have performed a gap analysis correlating accessibility skills and knowledge and current resources. 3 We have organized the gaps in order of priority.

1 We have a high level management plan in place to acquire accessibility skills and/or allocate those resources.

1 We have developed a training plan for in-house resources and identified external resources for training and/or augmentation.
2 We have developed a process to track resource training and augmentation.

3 All resources have the appropriate skills and continuous monitoring and improvement systems are in place.

Section 5 Comments (Provide any comments or additional information on this section here.)

6. Make information regarding ICT accessibility policy, plans, and progress available to customers.

0 We do not have a plan to make our accessibility policy or other accessibility information publicly available. (If selected, skip to next section or provide comments at the end of this section.)

6a. ICT Accessibility policy and VPAT documentation availability

1 Our ICT accessibility policy is publicly available.

1 Our accessibility policy and documentation (VPATs, etc.) for some products is publicly available or available upon request.

2 Our accessibility policy and documentation (VPATs, etc.) for all released products is complete and publicly available or available upon request.

2 We are beginning to make other accessibility technical information available such as how accessibility testing is performed.

6b. Availability of other accessibility documentation beyond policy and VPATs

We make accessibility information available beyond policy and VPAT information including information on how accessibility testing is performed and other information that demonstrates our organization's capability to 3 produce accessible product / services.

6c. ICT Accessibility policy and documentation availability

2 We are implementing an accessibility support program within our organization to address questions related to our accessibility documentation.

We have a fully implemented accessibility support program within our organization to provide requested documentation and address questions related to the accessibility of our products. 3

Section 6 Comments (Provide any comments or additional information on this section here.)

FAQs for Policy-Driven Adoption for Accessibility (PDAA)

For companies/vendors

Policy-driven Adoption for Accessibility (PDAA) is a tool that vendors can use to demonstrate the extent to which their organization has implemented accessibility best practices within operations. The PDAA concept is based on the following principles:

1. What is PDAA?

• Integrating accessibility policies and practices into their business and culture enables organizations to drive themselves towards the creation of accessible offerings over the long term.

• Enabling products for accessibility requires integrating accessibility criteria into all phases of a product life cycle, and other business processes where accessibility plays a role.

• Many state and federal agencies are required by law to procure or develop accessible offerings based on technical standards. Gaps in vendor internal governance systems and leadership commitment inhibit their ability to meet these standards.

• Agency procurement organizations need assurances that vendors have the ability to produce accessible offerings and continue to improve them over time.

2. Why are buying organizations requesting information on company accessibility policy?

Making an organization’s information and communications technology (ICT) offerings accessible to people with disabilities requires commitment in many areas of that organization. PDAA data helps buying organizations understand a vendor’s accessibility policy, progress and commitment to accessibility holistically.

A mature accessibility policy implementation signals that the vendor is fully aware of the implications of accessibility requirements and is prepared to resolve any issues in a timely manner with minimal friction. It also makes it more likely that the vendor understands that accessibility is more than meeting a set of technical guidelines or standards, and that usability will be a factor in how they go about meeting the technical requirements. Accessibility that is planned, designed, and built in from the beginning consistently results in a friendlier product for all users, including those with disabilities.

3. Why is PDAA information important to the buying organization?

The requested information provides insight into vendors’ ability to develop accessible commercial off the shelf (COTS) and non-COTS offerings, which can increase the procuring organizations’ confidence in the accuracy of vendor’s accessibility documentation.

Current ICT accessibility reporting formats such as VPATs (Voluntary Product Assessment Templates) only apply to COTS products and services. In many cases, vendor VPATs lack credibility due to limited knowledge about their offerings’ accessibility. Additionally, there is no standard reporting format for non-COTS offerings such as development services for websites, web applications, system software, etc.

4. How will this information be used?

The initial completed form will establish a baseline for where a vendor stands with regard to its ICT accessibility policy. The baseline illustrates the depth and maturity of the vendor’s support for accessibility policy and practices as illustrated via the PDAA Maturity Model (Link on next line. If prompted for a password, select "cancel") PDAA Maturity Model (http://publishingext.dir.texas.gov/portal/internal/resources/DocumentLibrary/PDAA%20Maturity%20Matrix.pptx)

The questionnaire may also be included in future solicitations so that progress can be assessed. The vendor responses from the questionnaire may be considered as an element in vendor selection; however, this would be determined by the procuring organization.

Additionally, vendor companies can use the results as a roadmap for implementing their organization-wide ICT accessibility initiatives, which will help ensure that programs and processes are in place to facilitate the development of future accessible offerings.

5. We already submit VPATs as part of solicitation responses. Is that adequate?

No. VPATs (Voluntary Product Assessment Templates) are product-specific. PDAA is a holistic presentation of the organization’s approach to accessibility. The expectation is that organizations with mature approaches to PDAA will greatly improve the levels of accessibility in products. It should also result in well documented, accurate VPATs, improving their value in product-level assessments

6. What is the PDAA Maturity Model?

Based on the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) concept, the PDAA Maturity Model(Link on next line) provides buying organizations and vendors with a simple dashboard or matrix to track and demonstrate vendors’ progress toward full system-wide support of accessibility.

PDAA Maturity Model (http://publishingext.dir.texas.gov/portal/internal/resources/DocumentLibrary/PDAA%20Maturity%20Matrix.pptx)

7. Where can I obtain more information on Accessibility Policy implementation for my organization?

Additional information can be found on the PDAA web pages. (http://dir.texas.gov/View-Resources/Pages/Content.aspx?id=39#Procurement)

For government organizations/agencies

8. What is PDAA?

• Enabling products for accessibility requires the integration of accessibility criteria in all phases of a product life cycle, and other business process where accessibility plays a role.

• Many state and federal agencies are required by law to procure or develop accessible offerings based on technical standards, but gaps in internal governance and commitment by industry inhibits the adoption and implementation of these standards.

• Agency procurement organizations need assurances that vendors have the ability to produce accessible offerings and continue to improve them over time.

9. Does the PDAA replace VPATs?

No. VPATs (Voluntary Product Assessment Templates) are product-specific. PDAA is a holistic presentation of the organization’s approach to accessibility. VPATs are still a valuable tool at the product level, and the expectation is that vendors with mature approaches to PDAA will have accurate and informative VPATs.

10. Why a “maturity model” of evaluation?

Successfully enabling an organization for ICT accessibility requires implementation within various areas of an organization. As with any organization-wide initiative, implementation cannot occur all at once. The PDAA Maturity Model is used to gauge progress towards the complete implementation of PDAA core criteria. (Link on next line. If prompted for a password, select "cancel") PDAA Maturity Model (http://publishingext.dir.texas.gov/portal/internal/resources/DocumentLibrary/PDAA%20Maturity%20Matrix.pptx)

11. Why should we support vendors who have mature PDAA practices?

12. How should we score PDAA information?

In general, the PDAA questionnaire is meant to ensure that the same information is collected from all bidders, and how the agency uses that information will depend on circumstances. While scoring has not yet been established for PDAA, the responses from the questionnaire may be used as criteria in selecting offerings or vendors.
PDAA evaluation is an area that will need some practical experience, and we hope that organizations will share what they learn.

13. Where does the PDAA information fit within the procurement process?

Using consistent information in evaluating bids is a key element of open and competitive public procurements. The information given in a PDAA report can help you better judge the ability of a
vendor to: complete a VPAT correctly, produce accessible custom ICT offerings (web sites, web applications, software, etc.), resolve accessibility defects when discovered, and otherwise be a
partner in helping you meet your compliance obligations. The specific role of PDAA responses may be determined in part by the procurement laws, policies and practices for your organization.

14. What happens if the vendor claims the information is confidential or a trade secret?

Vendors often claim this for information required in procurements. Your organization’s procurement laws, policies, or practices may already address how you handle such claims.

15. What other states are using the PDAA model?

The PDAA model is in its early stages. A coalition of states is working with several national associations to harmonize the criteria for this model, and for obtaining and evaluating PDAA
information. The goal is for more states and other government entities to adopt the PDAA model in their procurement processes.

16. Where can I obtain more information on Accessibility Policy implementation for my organization?

Additional information can be found on the PDAA web pages. (http://dir.texas.gov/View-Resources/Pages/Content.aspx?id=39#Procurement)