ATS Software Vocabulary Listing

ATS Software Status Types:

Conditional Use

• Allows for use by one or more departments while the accessibility of the product is being monitored. It is usually granted for a period of one to three years, or to align with the software contract.

Deferred Review

• Allows for ATS to postpone testing a product at that time, if it meets the deferral criteria. Deferrals can be granted to software/hardware that is used by less than five people, is not academic and is unlikely to be adopted for campus-wide use. ATS closely monitors each deferred review to ensure that it continues to meet the standard for a deferred review. If it no longer meets the criteria, a full review is conducted.

Denied

• The product has been tested, it is not accessible and there are no reasonable EEAAPs for the product.

Discontinued

• The product was reviewed in the past, but is no longer in use on a UM Campus.

Recommended for UM Purchase

• The product meets or exceeds accessibility standards and can be purchased without further review by a UM campus.

ATS Software Testing Definitions:

Academic

• Student use software, often front facing and widely used across campus. Academic use software/hardware is always tested for accessibility.

Administrative

• Nonacademic software/hardware only used by administrative units on campus without student use, will sometimes be given a deferred review.

Complete Barriers (Category)

• Issues are consistent across the product category which prevent access, and for which no workarounds were identified, or workarounds identified do not provide equally effective alternative access within a reasonable timeframe.  

Complete Barriers (Product)

• Issues are specific to the particular application which prevent access, and for which no workarounds were identified, or workarounds identified do not provide equally effective alternative access within a reasonable timeframe.

Electronic Accessibility

• The practice of ensuring that websites, web applications, and digital content can be used by all faculty, staff and students. This includes individuals who have a diverse range of hearing, movement, sight or cognitive abilities. More simply put, electronic accessibility means making online content usable to all.

Equally Effective Alternative Access

• Process by which  individuals with disabilities are able to independently acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services within the same time frame as individuals without disabilities, with substantially equivalent ease of use.

Minor Barriers

• Issues are determined to only slightly impede access, for which workarounds may or may not be necessary to provide equally effective alternative access.

Partial Barriers

• Issues do not prevent access entirely, or issues where workarounds were identified during testing which provide equally effective alternative access within a reasonable timeframe.        

Reasonable Timeframe

• A period of time not to exceed twice the average length of time required by a non-AT user to perform a task.

VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template)

• The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a document which evaluates how accessible a particular product is according to the Section 508 Standards. It is a self-disclosing document produced by the vendor which details each aspect of the Section 508 requirements and how the product supports each criteria.