#wcag + #accessibility

Below is a list of frequently asked questions on the Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) and the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®). This information was adapted from NASA’s Demystifying Section 508: An Industry Guide to Understanding Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

have not completed a VPAT®/ACR before. Why am I being required to complete it now? Isn’t the VPAT® voluntary?

The U.S. federal government must buy information and communication technology (ICT) that is accessible per Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The government asks industry to submit an Accessibility Conformance Report so that the accessibility of a product may be evaluated. Without the ACR, the government may not proceed with the purchase unless there is a special use case exception that the government – never industry – may claim in which the ACR will not be required. Industry completes the ACR so that their product may be considered for purchase.

The ITI Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (ITI VPAT®) is a free template that translates accessibility requirements and standards (e.g., in Section 508 and other legal frameworks) into actionable testing criteria for products and services. Users should test their products and services against each section of the VPAT and use the template to document results. Once completed, the VPAT® with documented testing results is referred to as an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) that details the accessible features of the tested product or service.

The Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), based on a completed ITI VPAT®, is the leading global reporting format for assisting buyers and sellers in identifying information and communications technology (ICT) products and services with accessibility features. The VPAT includes the leading ICT accessibility standards: Section 508 (U.S.), EN 301 549 (EU), and W3C/WAI WCAG.

A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a template containing information regarding how an Information and communications technology (ICT) product or service conforms with Section 508 of the United States Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794 (d)). Section 508 provides guidelines for rendering ICT accessible to, and therefore usable by, people with disabilities. The VPAT was originally designed as a tool for vendors to document product compliance to Section 508 and facilitate government market research on ICT with accessible features. Many people started to call the completed document a "VPAT" but the wider procurement community would prefer to call it a product Accessibility Conformance Report, or ACR. The distinction is that the VPAT is the incomplete form, and the ACR is the completed report using the VPAT template.

The current VPAT has expanded to include the U.S. Revised Section 508, European EN 301 549, and WCAG standards which are required by regulations in many jurisdictions.