When products do not meet accessibility requirements, a Plan for Alternate Access or PAA is required. The PAA must be completed by the department who purchases the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) product and must record the department's alternate access solutions to support users with disabilities. The plan is meant to be used in the event a user with disabilities cannot use an ICT product due to accessibility barriers. Departments are responsible for ensuring equally effective alternate access is provided for the ICT products they procure.
The latest template can be found below:
Completing a Plan
- All departments must create a Plan for Alternate Access for products with accessibility barriers.
- Departments will receive a notification to complete a PAA following an accessibility review of their product by the UDC.
- The PAA is comprised of five critical sections that a department must complete:
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- Provide general information about the company and a product description
- The product description must explain some of the product's key features or functions
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- In this section, provide information about the requesting department and product owner. The product owner is the person in the department who will be responsible for decisions related to this product.
- Product intended use information is also required. Departments must explain how the ICT product will be used by the department and for how long it will be used.
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This section is comprised of three parts:
- Accessibility Barrier: A list of all critical accessibility barriers identified in this product will be included in this part. NOTE: this section will be pre-filled out by the UDC following the accessibility review. However if a department chooses to create a PAA before the accessibility review, they will need to fill out this section.
- Alternate Access - Equitable & Effective: This part must be completed by the department. Departments must come up with an alternative solution to address the accessibility barriers identified, list the resources needed to accomplish the solution and name designees responsible for providing the solution.
- Accommodation Plan: A statement indicating that if the alternate solutions defined by the department are not effective, based on individual needs, the department can work with DRES, NCOD, or the Office of Equity and Compliance to provide individualized accommodations.
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The PAA must be signed and approved by administrators in the department.
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- The PAA must be signed by:
- Product requestor
- Any designee named in the PAA that will provide an alternate access solution
- The Universal Design Center
- The PPA may also require signatures from:
- Disability Resource and Educational Services (DRES): if the product is utilized by students.
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (NCOD): if the product has multimedia components to be used by students or staff.
- Office of Equity and Compliance: if the product will be used by faculty, staff or public.
- Once the PAA is complete and signed by all required departments, the PAA must be submitted to the Universal Design Center (see Contact Us).
- The UDC will maintain the original copy of the form and will assign document revision and control dates.
- The UDC will send the product requestor a copy of the form.
- Requesting departments must retain the PAA document and review yearly
- If updates are needed, requesting departments must send the updates to the UDC.
