The second presentation, delivered by Sarah Sherman, Director at Bloomsbury Learning Exchange explored the challenges of embedding digital accessibility into procurement. Using real supplier responses to accessibility questions, Sarah highlighted common issues, including accessibility being offered at extra cost, reliance on overlays rather than accessible design, poor understanding of legal obligations, and accessibility features being absent from product roadmaps.
The session highlighted how accessibility testing often occurs late in procurement, placing significant demands on internal specialists. Participants also discussed how suppliers frequently focus on student-facing interfaces while overlooking accessibility barriers in staff-facing workflows.
A central theme of the presentation was the Accessibility Passport, developed through the Make Things Accessible project. Designed as a practical framework for procurement, it provides shared tools and resources that institutions can adopt rather than developing their own approaches independently.
Resources include:
- Standard contract wording
- Procurement guidance
- Tender evaluation criteria
- Accessibility matrices
- Eight key questions for suppliers
The aim is to create greater consistency across the sector, helping institutions set clear expectations and encouraging suppliers to improve accessibility standards.
Discussion focused on the benefits of collaboration between institutions and the need for stronger partnerships between accessibility specialists, learning technologists, procurement teams and senior leaders. Participants agreed that accessibility must be considered throughout the procurement lifecycle rather than treated as a final compliance check.
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