Summary of What is a VPAT? How do you create a VPAT?

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The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is used to document how accessible a product is in order to comply with federal and many state accessibility requirements. The VPAT is only as credible as the person who completes it, and it must be completed by someone who understands the WCAG and Section 508 requirements. Increasingly, organizations are holding vendors responsible for accessibility claims made in their VPAT.

• 00:00:00 The VPAT is a template used to document how accessible a product is in order to comply with federal and many state accessibility requirements. Once the VPAT is complete, it becomes an Accessibility Conformance Report. The Accessibility Conformance report is then used by buyers to make a preliminary assessment of a technology product's conformance based on the reported accessibility standards and guidelines. The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) is the industry group that maintains the VPAT. As indicated by its title, a VPAT is voluntarily attestation made available by vendors to purchasers. Depending on the edition used, the VPAT may include instructions for completing the document, the Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), or just relevant sections of the International edition.
• 00:05:00 The VPAT is a report that is completed by someone who understands the WCAG and Section 508 requirements to attest to the accessibility of a product. It is important to note that an ACR with defects is not an automatic disqualifier. Having an accurate ACR allows the organization to make an informed decision about whether to pursue an exception process. The VPAT is only as credible as the person who completes it, and historically VPATs were completed by salespeople or other non-technical staff. The task was then moved to the development groups who were creating the product, which led to an issue where the teams who created the defects were not able to subsequently identify them. In short, a VPAT must be completed by someone who understands the WCAG and Section 508 requirements. Increasingly, organizations are holding vendors responsible for accessibility claims made in their ACR. To compete the VPAT, you need to have experts in accessibility in-house, or hire a consultant to guide you through the process.