As a Solutions Engineer at TPGi, I meet with prospective customers new to digital accessibility on a regular basis to understand their needs and scope out services, such as audits. And one topic that comes up frequently is third-party solutions. And the customer push back in including third-party solutions in scope for audits.

I plan to go even more in-depth on this topic sometime soon, but for now (and for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)), here’s a quick primer.

What are third-party solutions?

Third-party solutions refer to products or services developed by companies or individuals that are not part of the original manufacturer or provider of the primary website or application. These solutions are integrated with or used alongside the main product to add features and functionality, improve performance, or meet specific needs.

Examples of third-party solutions include, but are not limited to:

  • Authentication & Security: Auth0, Okta, reCAPTCHA (Google), Cloudflare
  • E-Commerce & Payments: Stripe, PayPal, Klarna / Afterpay, Trustpilot
  • Communication & Chat: Intercom, Drift, Tildio, Zendesk Chat
  • Email & Marketing: Constant Contact, Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Klaviyo
  • Video & Media Embeds: YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud
  • Healthcare: EHR Add-ons, Telemedicine Platforms
  • Maps: Google Maps, Apple Maps, Mapbox
  • WYSIWYG Editors: TinyMCE, CKEditor 5, Editor.js
  • WordPress or any CMS Plugins: All
  • Advertisements: Google AdSense, DoubleClick, Broadstreet

The addition and implementation of these third-party solutions can enrich the features of your digital product and elevate the user experience. However, they also have the potential of degrading the level of accessibility of your site. In many cases, like any other application, third-party solutions have not considered accessibility as part of their product’s development lifecycle.

Why include in an accessibility audit?

Because, from the user’s perspective, it’s part of your digital product.

I frequently hear the following from prospective customers:

  • that’s a third-party widget, so we’re not responsible for it’s accessibility
  • we can’t make changes to it, to fix the accessibility issues

Here’s why it technically is part of your digital product:

  • there was a business decision to implement the third-party solution into your digital product, presenting it as a feature of your digital product.
  • although there may be branding of the third-party solution provider on the solution, as far as the user is concerned, it is a seemless part of your digital product.

Including third-party solutions in an accessibility audit will provide you insight into the solution’s level of accessibility, and how it impacts your digital product.

How a third-party solution can impact your digital products accessibility

Think of each third-party instance as a separate, unique application. How could these be inaccessible? The same as any application, even your own, including:

  • Lack of Keyboard Navigation
  • Insufficient Color Contrast
  • Missing or Inadequate Alternative Text for Images
  • Poorly Structured Content
  • Focus Management Issues
  • Inaccessible Forms
  • Dynamic Content Issues
  • Incompatibility with Assistive Technologies

You will not know the extent that the third-party solution impacts your digital product’s accessibility unless you perform an audit including these solutions.

Post-accessibility audit

Okay, you’ve performed an audit on your digital product, including it’s third-party solutions. You cannot directly remediate any issues that result from the audit. What can you do?

Contact the solution provider

Contact the solution provider, informing them of your recent accessibility audit, and the findings pertaining to their third-party solution. Some providers will actually appreciate the information and work to make their solution more accessible. They receive free guidance to make their produce more valuable to others. You get a third-party solution that has been remediated for you.

Yes, I understand, this represents a “Happy Path” scenario. In many cases, the provider may not be willing to work with you to prioritize the accessibility remediation. They may even choose to ignore you. However you still have control.

Pivot to invest in an accessible solution

The audit results highlight that the select third-party solutions are inaccessible, creating undo risk to your organization, you can locate a third-party solution provider that does consider accessibility and supports your efforts for the utmost accessibility possible. See the next section for guidance on selecting a third-party solution from the beginning.

Starting with third-party solutions from the beginning

When seeking a third-party solution, whether through your procurement department, or even your group or self, here’s some things to consider when deciding on a third-party solution.

Contact the solution provider and ask questions

Ask the solution provider questions about the product. The responses will indicate their level of accessibility maturity. If responses are vague or incorrect, best move on to the next solution provider. Also pay attention t the responsiveness; this is a general rule, if the solution provider is slow to respond at best, imagine how your accessibility inquiries will be addressed.

Prioritize accessibility in vendor selection

Make accessibility a key criterion when evaluating and selecting third-party vendors and solutions. Request accessibility statements (Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs)) and test their solutions with assistive technologies, keyboard, and browser-based testing tools.

Clearly define accessibility requirements in contracts

Include specific accessibility requirements and standards (like WCAG compliance and conformance levels) in contracts with third-party vendors. Ensure that these requirements are understood and met.

Test, test, test

Perform accessibility tests on the product prior to decision making. Then plan to test ongoing. Like your digital product, accessibility support can change over time. Test with assistive technologies and involve users with disabilities. After obtaining the third-party solution, ensure that you monitor it’s level of accessibility through automated testing.

Evangelize digital accessibility

Ensure that procurement, development and design teams, along with product owners understand the importance of digital accessibility and how third-party solutions can impact it.