VPATs and ACRs
Your buyer asked for a VPAT. Here's what they actually need.
A VPAT is the blank template from the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI). Once it's filled in for your product, it becomes an Accessibility Conformance Report, or ACR. That completed report is what procurement wants.
Good to know
There is no VPAT certification.
ITI doesn't review or approve reports. A credible ACR comes from credible testing, which is why buyers increasingly ask who wrote it and how.
The four editions of VPAT 2.5Rev
Match the edition to the standard in the contract
WCAG edition
State and local buyers
Reports against WCAG 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2. The usual choice for ADA Title II, schools and most private enterprise.
508 edition
U.S. federal agencies
Revised Section 508, including software, hardware and support documentation clauses.
EU edition
European buyers
EN 301 549, the standard behind the European Accessibility Act and EU public procurement.
INT edition
Selling everywhere
All three in one report. Best when you answer federal, state and international RFPs.
What a good ACR looks like
Honest levels, specific remarks
Each criterion gets a conformance level and a remark explaining it, including the ones that pass. Reviewers trust a report that admits gaps far more than one that claims Supports everywhere. We avoid Not Applicable: when no content applies, WCAG counts the criterion as met, so we mark Supports and say why. Level AAA is marked Not Evaluated unless your contract includes it.
| Criterion | Conformance level | Remarks and explanations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1Non-text ContentLevel A | Partially Supports | Status icons in the application list have no text alternative. All other images have accurate alt text. |
| 1.2.4Captions (Live)Level AA | Supports | The product has no live audio or video anywhere, including help content and onboarding, so there is no content this criterion applies to. |
| 1.3.1Info and RelationshipsLevel A | Supports | Headings, lists, tables and form labels are marked up correctly. |
| 1.4.3Contrast (Minimum)Level AA | Supports | All text meets 4.5:1, including placeholder text and error messages. |
| 2.1.1KeyboardLevel A | Partially Supports | Everything works with a keyboard except the inspection date picker, which cannot be opened or used without a mouse. Keyboard users cannot schedule an inspection. |
| 3.3.1Error IdentificationLevel A | Partially Supports | Errors are described in text, but the upload step shows a red border only. |
| 4.1.2Name, Role, ValueLevel A | Supports | Custom controls expose correct names and states to NVDA, JAWS and VoiceOver. |
Red flags reviewers notice
Is your current ACR hurting you?
If any of these sound familiar, an ACR Health Check is the fastest fix.
See the Health Check- Supports on every line, with no remarks explaining how.
- Thin evaluation methods: none listed, only an automated scanner, or one browser and one screen reader with no version numbers.
- Not Applicable with no explanation, or remarks that just repeat the criterion's own wording.
- Carve-outs in the Notes that quietly exclude whole features, or soft wording like "substantially conformant."
- An old template such as VPAT 2.4 or earlier, which predates WCAG 2.2.
- No product version or test date, or a date more than a year or two old.
- Claims of certification, which no body issues.
Process and price
A signed ACR in about three weeks, from $4,500
Fixed price after a short scoping call. Rush delivery in 7 business days when the calendar allows.
- Week 0Scoping callWe agree on the flows, platforms, edition and deadline. You get a fixed quote.
- Weeks 1 to 2TestingManual testing of every WCAG 2.2 A and AA criterion with screen readers, keyboard, voice control and zoom.
- Week 3Draft and reviewYou get the findings report and a draft ACR, and we walk through it together on a call.
- FinalSigned, dated ACRDelivered as an accessible PDF and an HTML page you can publish. One retest after fixes is included.
What we need from you
A test account and any sample data, the exact product version or build, one contact who can answer questions, and the accessibility language from your buyer's solicitation if you have it.
See a complete sample ACR
A full report for a fictional permit portal: every criterion, every remark and the evaluation methods with versions. Share it with your team before you commit.
Questions buyers and vendors ask
How current does an ACR need to be?
Most buyers expect a report dated within the last 12 months that matches the version they're buying. We put the test dates and product version on the cover, and the ACR Care Plan keeps it current.
Can we write the ACR ourselves?
Yes, and some vendors do. Buyers' accessibility reviewers tend to trust an independent report more, especially when the evaluation methods list real assistive technology and versions.
What if we fail some criteria?
That's normal. We report it honestly with a clear remark, and the findings report shows your team how to fix it. A report that admits gaps is more credible than one that claims everything passes.
Do you cover mobile apps?
Yes. We test iOS with VoiceOver and Android with TalkBack, and report web and mobile in one ACR or separately, whichever your buyer needs.
Should we publish the ACR?
We recommend it. A public, dated ACR answers buyers before they ask and shortens procurement.
Need an ACR for an RFP?
Send the solicitation's accessibility language and your due date. We'll confirm the edition and scope.