VPAT Accessibility Testing
A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) documents how your product conforms to accessibility standards. CompliScan provides the automated test data you need to complete your VPAT accurately.
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What Is a VPAT?
A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a standardized document that explains how an ICT product or service conforms to accessibility standards. Developed by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), the VPAT is the universally accepted format for documenting accessibility conformance, particularly in procurement contexts. The completed document is called an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR). The current VPAT 2.5 format supports three editions:
- WCAG Edition: Evaluates against WCAG 2.x success criteria at Levels A, AA, and optionally AAA
- Section 508 Edition: Maps to US federal accessibility requirements (which reference WCAG 2.0 AA)
- EU Edition: Maps to EN 301 549 requirements for the European market
- INT Edition: Combines all three — WCAG, Section 508, and EN 301 549 — in a single comprehensive document
For each criterion, you report one of five conformance levels: Supports, Partially Supports, Does Not Support, Not Applicable, or Not Evaluated. Buyers use VPATs to compare products and select the most accessible option. An inaccurate or outdated VPAT can cost you a deal.
Who Needs a VPAT?
VPATs are essential for technology vendors in these scenarios:
- US federal procurement: Any company selling software, websites, or digital services to the US government must provide a VPAT. Federal procurement officers use it to evaluate Section 508 compliance before purchasing decisions. The GSA maintains a repository of VPATs and increasingly rejects bids without current accessibility documentation
- State and local government sales: Many US states have adopted Section 508-like requirements. With the ADA Title II deadline of April 24, 2026, state and local agencies are ramping up procurement requirements for accessible technology
- Higher education: Universities routinely require VPATs when purchasing LMS platforms, SIS systems, library databases, and other educational technology. Several large university systems will not procure products without a current VPAT
- EU public procurement: The EN 301 549 edition of the VPAT is used for European procurement, especially under the European Accessibility Act
- Enterprise sales: Large corporations including Fortune 500 companies increasingly request VPATs as part of vendor evaluation, even when not legally required
The global IT accessibility market is projected to reach $550 billion by 2030. Having a current, accurate VPAT is a competitive advantage in this market.
How to Create an Accurate VPAT
Creating a credible VPAT requires systematic accessibility testing:
- Step 1 — Define scope: Identify which product features, versions, and platforms the VPAT covers. A VPAT for a web application covers the web UI; native apps need separate evaluation
- Step 2 — Automated testing: Run a comprehensive scan against WCAG criteria using CompliScan. This identifies machine-detectable violations and establishes which criteria your product fails, partially meets, or fully meets
- Step 3 — Manual testing: Supplement automated results with manual testing for criteria that require human judgment — alt text quality, reading order, audio descriptions, cognitive load, and error recovery
- Step 4 — Document findings: For each WCAG criterion, record the conformance level and provide specific remarks explaining what works, what does not, and any planned remediation
- Step 5 — Review and publish: Have the VPAT reviewed by an accessibility specialist. Publish the ACR on your website and update it at least annually or whenever major product updates occur
The most common VPAT mistake is over-claiming conformance. Buyers and accessibility consultants will test your product and compare against your VPAT. Inaccuracies destroy trust and can eliminate you from procurement consideration.
How CompliScan Supports VPAT Creation
CompliScan provides the automated testing data that forms the foundation of your VPAT. The scanner evaluates your product against all WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA success criteria, generating results mapped to the exact criteria listed in the VPAT template. Each finding includes the WCAG criterion number, conformance status, and detailed remarks — precisely the information you need for the VPAT's "Criteria" and "Remarks and Explanations" columns. CompliScan results can be mapped to all three VPAT editions: WCAG, Section 508, and EN 301 549, since the underlying criteria overlap significantly. For ongoing VPAT maintenance, use Shield ($49/mo) for weekly scanning to catch regressions before your next VPAT update, or Shield Pro ($149/mo) for daily monitoring. Automated tools typically identify 30-40% of WCAG issues — for the criteria requiring manual evaluation, CompliScan's results help you prioritize which manual tests to conduct first. Run a free scan to see your product's current accessibility baseline and start building your VPAT with real data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a VPAT legally required?
A VPAT is not legally required by any law. However, it is practically required for selling ICT products to the US federal government, most state governments, universities, and increasingly large enterprises. Without a VPAT, your product will typically be eliminated from procurement consideration before evaluation even begins. The 'Voluntary' in VPAT refers to ITI's role in creating the template, not to whether you should complete one — for government sales, it is effectively mandatory.
How often should I update my VPAT?
Best practice is to update your VPAT at least annually and whenever you release a major product update that changes accessibility conformance. Procurement officers look at the VPAT date — a document older than 12-18 months raises questions about whether it reflects the current product. Continuous scanning with CompliScan helps you track when accessibility changes occur so you can update your VPAT proactively rather than reactively.
What is the difference between a VPAT and an ACR?
A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is the blank template. An ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report) is the completed document. People often use 'VPAT' to refer to both, but technically you download the VPAT template, fill it in with your product's conformance data, and the result is an ACR. The terms are largely interchangeable in practice.
Which VPAT edition should I use?
If you sell to US federal agencies, use the Section 508 edition. If you sell in the EU, use the EU (EN 301 549) edition. If you sell internationally or to multiple markets, use the INT edition, which covers WCAG, Section 508, and EN 301 549 in a single document. The INT edition is the most comprehensive and increasingly preferred, as it demonstrates conformance across all major standards in one document.
Can CompliScan generate a complete VPAT for me?
CompliScan provides the automated test data that covers the machine-testable WCAG criteria in the VPAT — approximately 30-40% of all criteria. This gives you a solid foundation including exact conformance status and detailed remarks for each automated criterion. The remaining criteria require manual testing (alt text quality, reading order, audio descriptions, etc.). CompliScan's results help you prioritize which manual tests to conduct and provide the structured data format needed to populate your VPAT template efficiently.
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