What is a VPAT?
The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is published by the Information Technology Industry Council. It organizes accessibility requirements into a reporting format. Different editions cover different standards, so the edition should match the requirements of the buyer and the product being assessed.
What is an Accessibility Conformance Report?
An ACR is the completed report describing how a product meets the criteria in the selected template. It identifies the product and version, evaluation methods, conformance ratings, and explanatory remarks. Buyers use this information to understand accessibility capabilities and limitations during vendor review.
Choose the edition before testing
Ask the customer which standards and VPAT edition they require. A WCAG-focused request and a federal Section 508 request are not interchangeable. Confirming the requirements early helps avoid a report that omits provisions the buyer expects to see.
Base conformance ratings on evidence
The report should reflect actual evaluation of the product. VPAT testing and ACR preparation should produce a report tied to evidence. Testing notes and issue records support the conformance ratings and explain any limitations. Specific remarks are more useful than unsupported statements that a feature is accessible. An ACR is a disclosure of evaluation results, not a certification that the product has no accessibility barriers.
Keep the report current
Review the ACR when changes affect the evaluated features or when accessibility remediation resolves documented issues. Record the version assessed and keep the evidence connected to that version. A buyer may also ask for an improvement plan or additional information about unresolved barriers.
Frequently asked questions
What should we check first when reading a vendor's ACR?
Check that the product name, version, report date, scope, and standards match what you intend to buy. Then review evaluation methods, ratings, and remarks for the functions your users need. A report for a marketing website or a different deployment may not describe the purchased application. Ask the vendor to explain gaps rather than treating the presence of an ACR as approval.
What makes the remarks in an ACR useful?
Useful remarks explain how a rating applies to the evaluated product, including the affected functionality and any known limitations. A repeated claim that the product is accessible gives a reviewer little to assess. Explanations should be specific enough to connect the rating to evidence. CompliCorp's ACR preparation service focuses on testing and reporting that support those explanations.
Is an accessibility statement a substitute for an ACR?
No. An accessibility statement commonly describes an organization's commitment, feedback channels, known limitations, and ongoing work. An ACR reports a particular product's conformance against specified criteria. Both can be useful, but they answer different questions. When a buyer requests an ACR, providing only a general website statement may leave its evaluation needs unanswered.
How should an ACR describe fixes that are planned but not tested?
Keep planned work separate from current conformance ratings. Explain the existing barrier accurately and provide a remediation plan if requested, making clear that the change is pending. Update the report after appropriate verification supports the revised findings. Our remediation planning guide shows how to track ownership, target dates, and retest evidence.