VPAT Review Guide

What is a VPAT?

A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a document that explains how a technology product conforms to accessibility standards. When completed, it's called an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR).

Requesting VPATs from vendors

Where to find VPATs

• Vendor website: Often under "Accessibility" or "Legal" sections
• ITIC VPAT Repository: itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat
• Direct request: Contact vendor sales or support

Sample request language

"As part of our accessibility evaluation, please provide the most recent Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)/VPAT for [product name]. We require documentation based on WCAG 2.1 Level AA. If an ACR is not available, please provide your product accessibility roadmap or indicate when one will be available."

Red flags when requesting

• Vendor doesn't know what a VPAT is
• VPAT is more than 18 months old
• VPAT based on older standards (WCAG 2.0 or Section 508 original)
• Vendor refuses to provide documentation
• VPAT only covers part of the product

Understanding VPAT format

VPAT versions

Conformance levels

Evaluating a VPAT

Quick assessment questions

1. Date: Is it within 18 months? Has product had major updates since?
2. Version: Does it cover WCAG 2.1? Or at least WCAG 2.0 AA?
3. Scope: Does it cover all features you'll use?
4. Detail: Are remarks specific or vague/generic?
5. Honesty: Does it acknowledge any issues? (No product is perfect)

Priority criteria to review

Focus on these high-impact WCAG criteria:

Scoring approach

Calculate an informal accessibility score:

• Supports: 2 points
• Partially Supports: 1 point
• Does Not Support: 0 points
• Not Applicable: Exclude from calculation

Target: 80%+ of applicable criteria should be "Supports" or "Partially Supports"

VPAT red flags

Warning signs

• All "Supports": Unrealistic; every product has some issues
• Vague remarks: "Generally accessible" without specifics
• Copied remarks: Same text for multiple criteria
• Missing criteria: Entire sections marked N/A without explanation
• Very old date: More than 2 years old
• Unknown author: No company identification or contact

Questions to ask vendors

• When was accessibility last tested?
• Was testing done internally or by third party?
• What testing methodology was used?
• What's your accessibility roadmap for reported issues?
• Do you have users with disabilities beta test?
• What support do you offer for accessibility issues?

What if there's no VPAT?

Options

1. Request one: Give vendor timeline to produce
2. Conduct own evaluation: Test critical functionality
3. Require in contract: Make VPAT a deliverable
4. Consider alternatives: Look for products with VPATs
5. Document risk: If proceeding, document accessibility risk

Self-evaluation checklist

If vendor has no VPAT, test these basics:

• ☐ Can you Tab through all interactive elements?
• ☐ Are focus indicators visible?
• ☐ Do images have alt text?
• ☐ Is text contrast sufficient?
• ☐ Can you use all features without a mouse?
• ☐ Are form fields labeled?
• ☐ Does it work with screen reader (basic test)?

Documenting your review

When reviewing a VPAT, document:

• Date of review
• VPAT version and date
• Product name and version
• Features evaluated
• Summary of findings
• Risk assessment (low/medium/high)
• Recommended conditions (if approving)
• Required vendor commitments

Decision framework

Resources

• ITIC VPAT Template & Repository
• Section508.gov: Request Accessibility Information
• Procurement Hub
• Vendor Accessibility FAQ