IT and Procurement

Compliance Plan

The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) passed the Electronic Information and Technology Accessibility Policy (EIT) in October 2020.

The Purpose of the EIT Accessibility Policy is to establish standards for the accessibility of EIT considered necessary to ensure compliance with applicable local, state, and federal regulations and laws. CSCU is committed to designing, developing, and procuring EIT that is accessible for individuals with disabilities.

The Policy mandates that software, hardware, and systems purchased, developed, trialed, and maintained must be accessible and must produce accessible products. This includes free, open source, and low-cost products and services purchased with a PCard.

It is important that all individuals involved in a procurement process adhere to and ensure policy compliance when purchasing electronic/digital products or services. This applies to individual department/office purchases as well as through the official procurement process for goods and services exceeding $10,000.

Depending on the product/service being purchased, suppliers must demonstrate compliance with one of two standards:

Questions Before Purchase

The requesting staff member or department should ask these questions before moving to purchase software, hardware, or web-based services.

  • What does the product and/or service do and how are we using it?
  • Is this a new purchase or renewal?
  • How many people use or will be using this product and/or service?
    • How many faculty/staff?
    • How many students?
    • How many members of the public?