A vendor demo is not accessibility testing

A vendor demo is not accessibility testing.

A demo follows a script: the happiest path, the newest laptop, a presenter who already knows where every control lives. Real use looks nothing like that. Real use is a screen reader, a keyboard alone, an older phone, magnification turned up, and a person trying to finish a task under time pressure.

Before government buys a tool, test it the way the public will use it. Give evaluators tasks, not a tour. Include assistive technology in the evaluation, and score what actually happens — where focus goes, what gets announced, where the task breaks down.

Buying decisions lock in years of daily experience for thousands of people. A polished demo should never outweigh evidence from real use.

#Accessibility #A11y #GovTech #Procurement #UX