Procurement
Accessible telephone procurement checklist
A useful purchase record connects the employee’s communication task to a tested configuration, clear service terms, and a support owner. Use this checklist to make that record.
By Tenacity Updated
1. Define the required outcome with the user
Describe the job in observable terms: answer a customer call, understand a spoken reference number, type a reply, identify an incoming line, or transfer a call using a keyboard. Note the frequency, location, and equipment. Avoid substituting a medical label or a generic “accessibility compliant” requirement for the actual task.
Record the user’s preferred communication method and any existing tool that already works. For employment decisions, the EEOC’s hearing-disability guidance provides context on reasonable accommodations. This buying checklist helps organize a product evaluation; the organization remains responsible for its accommodation process and applicable obligations.
2. Verify the proposed configuration
- Product and current release, available for production or offered as a pilot.
- Phone/PBX or calling application, version, licensing, and account requirements.
- Operating system, headset, screen reader, keyboard or other input method.
- Supported call directions and features: transfer, hold, shared lines, and conference when required.
- Installation permissions, network requirements, and the person responsible for each change.
Ask the supplier to distinguish a tested configuration from a standards-based expectation or a planned integration. If the organization will soon migrate phone systems, include that in the discussion before purchasing. A solution that fits today’s endpoint may require a different deployment after the migration.
3. Request evidence that matches what you are buying
Request current accessibility documentation, installation instructions, and a demonstration of the relevant tasks. When an Accessibility Conformance Report is needed, check its product name, version, date, scope, and explanations of limitations. A VPAT is a reporting template; the completed report and its findings are what the buyer needs to review.
Read conformance claims alongside a hands-on user evaluation. Ask about the specific screen-reader and keyboard workflow rather than accepting an accessibility logo as a substitute for evidence. For U.S. federal procurement, use the government’s Section 508 acquisition resources for the applicable purchasing process.
A supplier’s benchmark should identify the tested system, method, sample, and date. Do not compare two percentages obtained under different conditions as if they measured the same outcome. Ask for help reproducing the task that matters to your user.
4. Review data handling and service responsibilities
| Area | Question to resolve |
|---|---|
| Audio and text | Where are they processed, who can access them, and what is retained? |
| Accounts | Who registers users, grants access, removes access, and owns the service relationship? |
| Support | How does the user report a problem accessibly, and who handles application, phone-system, and provider issues? |
| Updates | Which party deploys updates and checks the supported configuration after a change? |
| Contract | What support, renewal, cancellation, and data terms apply to the purchased offer? |
Confirm eligibility and registration for any captioned telephone service involved. Separate a provider’s regulatory status from the organization’s own security, privacy, and accessibility obligations. Technology choice alone does not answer all of these questions.
5. Record the trial, full cost, and handoff
Agree on the tasks that must succeed before the trial. Include the employee, IT, and the internal service owner. At the end, record the configuration, task results, user feedback, unresolved limits, and the decision. A short factual record is more useful than an unqualified pass/fail box.
Compare equipment, software, setup, phone-system changes, support, training, and renewals. Confirm what a per-user, per-device, or site license actually covers. Finish by giving the employee a usable quick-start guide and support contact, and IT a copy of the configuration and purchasing record.
To evaluate a Tenacity product, send the work task and system details through our contact form. Current product support materials are collected on the support page.