This page helps people buy accessible digital products and services.

Accessibility means everyone can access and use a product or service, regardless of their abilities. This includes the users of the product or service you’re buying.

From the start, you should talk to diverse users to understand their needs for what you’re buying. This will help you identify and analyse accessibility risks early and how to address them. You can find examples of risks in the accessibility risk guidance.

Consider accessibility

Accessibility is relevant when you're buying:

  • products with a digital user interface, such as software, websites, systems and apps
  • products with control mechanisms, such as hardware like keyboards or kiosks
  • any form of digital content, such as videos, social media posts, infographics, reports and guides.

To check the steps to buy accessible products and services, use this accessible procurement checklist DOCX, 517.38 KB.

If you need support, complete the accessibility requests form or email digital.accessibility@customerservice.nsw.gov.au

Include accessibility requirements

If accessibility is important for what you’re buying, it becomes your responsibility to buy digital products and services that everyone can use, irrespective of their abilities.

Work out what to include in your documents when buying products or services using the accessibility requirements list XLSX, 106.1 KB.

General requirements

At minimum, to ensure you’re buying an accessible product or service, include the following general requirements for the supplier to answer:

Add accessibility requirements in your documents

Be sure to state your accessibility requirements in your documents. This allows suppliers to understand accessibility needs early on and ensures accessibility is part of the decision-making process.

You can find these documents and instructions on how to use them on your agency’s intranet or in our resource library.

Suppliers provide evidence

Suppliers should provide evidence of how their product or service meets your accessibility requirements XLSX, 106.1 KB. The evidence must be verifiable and should present consistent findings.

Examples of evidence:

  • a recent (less than 18 months) accessibility conformance report using the latest template. The report summarises the extent to which the product or service meets standards
  • on request, user manuals or help files
  • if required during evaluation, a demonstration of how the product or service is accessible, including with users with disabilities

Evaluate evidence

People with disabilities and accessibility expertise can help you compare and choose a product or service that everyone can use.

Select a product or service

It's likely that none of the products or services meet all the accessibility requirements. Select:

  • the most accessible product or service
  • the product or service preferred by users with disabilities
  • a supplier who is willing to commit to an accessibility roadmap to fix accessibility issues, and provide equally effective access for users in the meantime.

Manage accessibility issues

Accessibility responsibilities continue through the life of the product.

  • Product owners should regularly test the product or service. This means new or remaining accessibility issues can be tracked and fixed by suppliers.
  • There should also be a way for users to give feedback.
  • If new accessibility issues are found, suppliers should add them to the roadmap and provide equally effective access for all users.

Find templates and resources

The following templates can help you buy accessible products and services:

Get support

If you need support, fill in the accessibility requests form or email Accessibility NSW at digital.accessibility@customerservice.nsw.gov.au