EU Accessibility Act Procurement Language and Acceptance Criteria

Start from measurable outcomes. A clause that says the solution should be accessible is too vague to test. A clause that requires conformance against the applicable accessibility requirements, identified channels, named test methods, and evidence outputs gives the buyer something enforceable and gives the supplier a clear delivery target.

For ICT heavy solutions, procurement language should identify the standards or requirement sets used, the environments tested, and the evidence that must be delivered at contract award, implementation, and acceptance. For services, it should also cover support channels, updates, and issue resolution after go live.

Acceptance criteria should be tied to user journeys and observable behaviours, not only to a supplier statement. For example, the buyer should be able to test keyboard completion of a checkout flow, screen reader navigation through core steps, or the ability to activate media access services or non voice alternatives where relevant.

Where a supplier relies on an exception or limited scope, procurement language should force disclosure of that decision and its boundaries. Buyers should not discover after signature that a key journey or feature was never intended to comply.