Get a VPAT in 2022 to adhere to the laws and standards of digital accessibility. The US Government has plenty of standards, frameworks and guidelines in place to protect the civil rights of the disabled population. VPAT is one such way to prevent the increased risk of the violation of digital accessibility laws. In today’s post, we will discuss key things about VPAT and find out what makes VPAT passing score so important in this digitally inclined world.
What Is A VPAT?
Federal guidelines for digital accessibility are defined in Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act. When a vendor needs to comply with Section 508, they document their conformance report using the VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template).
When Do You Need A VPAT?
VPAT is created by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC) to provide a framework for compliance with Section 508. Although, compliance with Section 508 is not the only condition when you need a VPAT. Apart from federal level procurements, VPAT testing is also utilized by organizations to conform adherence to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).
ADA is a US civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disabilities in public accommodations. When the aspect of digital accessibility was added to the areas of public accommodation, it became mandatory for organizations to have ADA compliant websites. VPAT testing helps in preventing violations of digital accessibility laws.
Who Uses A VPAT?
Almost everyone with a digital presence is using a VPAT. Even the largest enterprises like Microsoft, Apple and Google have also published their VPAT documentation to showcase their compliance.
VPAT is a self-evaluation measure for digital accessibility standards. Brands of all sizes are using VPAT if they are instrumental in the development or procurement of software, hardware, mobile apps, operating systems, electronic documents etc.
If you require any kind of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products, then you must generate the VPAT documentation.
What Is The Importance Of VPAT Compliance?
Federal level procurements are strictly prohibited in absence of VPAT documentation. Moreover, the VPAT WCAG edition provides a framework to have an ADA compliant business. It can be said that VPAT documentation makes you a preferred vendor and also protects you from the risk of lawsuits.
You can use VPAT to showcase your compliance to Section 508, ADA, EU: EN 301 549 – the European Union’s accessibility requirements.
Can You Fill Out Your Own VPAT?
A VPAT is filled out to generate an ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report). You can find a sample of VPAT report example on the internet to model your documents. However, it is important to fill out the VPAT accurately.
The generated report provides a detailed description of different accessibility criteria and the conformance levels of your products and offerings. The columns of ACR not only represent if a product fully supports, partially supports or does not support a guideline, but there is also a column for remarks/comments where you need to provide a detailed description of the conformance level.
Therefore, in-house ACR publishing is not recommended. Your team must have in-depth knowledge of the applicable accessibility standards. Inaccurate or incomplete ACR is not useful as the document is going to be reviewed by your potential customers before releasing the official request for purchase.
How To Fill Out A VPAT Correctly?
There are two approaches for VPAT 508 testing, i.e. automated scans and manual audits.
Hiring third party accessibility specialists makes the most sense because evaluation tools give results with only 30% accuracy. On the other hand, manual intervention is helpful for an in-depth analysis of the accessibility levels.
Many businesses like to go with the hybrid approach and use a combination of manual and automated scans. Connect with the experts at ADA Compliance Pros to book your free automated scan. They are recognized as accessibility specialists and can offer top-rated remediation to get the desired VPAT passing score.