Applications

Key Dates

Web applications (applications with a web or mobile web interface) developed, deployed, or substantially changed after January 1, 2015 are required to be accessible.

Why

NYU, like most organizations, has moved most if not all of its resources to the Web.  Now it is important for us to ensure that these resources are fully available to those inside and outside of our community with a broad range of abilities.

Building a Web Application

Learn about digital accessibility.

Technical training is available - both online and in person - to ensure that you know how to develop an accessible website or web application. Request a Digital Accessibility Consultation to learn more about all digital accessibility topics — beginner to advanced.

Purchasing a Web Application

NYU aims to procure web applications and services that are compliant with NYU's accessibility policy and standards (WCAG 2.0 AA). NYU IT, Procurement, and the Office of General Counsel work together to help you accomplish this action.

• Language for RFP's and contracts
  

Working with Vendors

NYU has found that some vendors know little about accessibility while others are very far along in making their applications fully compliant. The Digital Accessibility team can assist you with the conversations you will have with vendors especially regarding accessibility levels and roadmaps for accessibility. We have successfully worked with several vendors to help them bring their products into compliance.

Help Assessing an Application's Compliance

Tell the Digital Accessibility team early if you wish to purchase web services or a web application so we can help you assess its accessibility compliance.

You can also do a quick check on the accessibility of a web application.

How to Know if a Web Application or Website is Accessible

1. Does the vendor have a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)?
   A VPAT is how vendors describe the level of accessibility compliance their product meets. A vendor that has created a VPAT for their application understands about accessibility, but having a VPAT does not mean that the application is fully compliant with the WCAG 2.0 AA standard.  Reviewing the VPAT will inform you about how compliant the product is with the WCAG success criteria. The Digital Accessibility team can assist in that review.
   
2. Run your own Quick Check of the application
   Performing manual tests can help you to establish whether or not the application interface is compliant. For example: navigating through the application interface only using the Tab key on your keyboard, evaluating color contrast using a contrast checker tool, such as the Colour Contrast Analyser.

• Tab through the interface
  • Do the tabs move in an expected order (tab order)?
  • Do you know where you are at all times (focus)?
  • Can you move through all menus an other interactive content using keyboard elements only (up/down arrows, space bar, enter key)?
  • When you tabbed into an element such as a pop-up window, could you close the window using the Esc key? Or, did the tabbing continue behind the active window (keyboard trap)? 
    
• Try using a Screen Reader (NVDA, VoiceOver)
  • Do all images have alt-text?
  • Do all controls and forms have appropriate labels for the screen reader to read?
  • Is the flow of information logical?
  • Do links and buttons indicate their purpose?
  • Can you navigate through headings and landmarks?
  • How well does the mobile version of the page work?
• Check the colors and color contrast
  • Do the colors (background and foreground) stand out enough for the low vision user (appropriate ratio)?
  • Does the application use color (or italics or bold) alone to convey information?
    

Additional Resources

• For more information about how to test content, please visit our Usability Testing section.
• Review our list of Testing Tools.
  
• Review the How I do an accessibility check video from Google Chrome Developers.