1. Advancing Digital Accessibility at UL Lafayette
  2. Training & Resources
  3. Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs)

Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs)

A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a standardized document that technology vendors use to report how accessible their product is. Once completed by a vendor, the VPAT becomes an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) — the document you receive and evaluate.

Why this matters for UL Lafayette

Any digital tool or platform purchased for campus use must be evaluated for WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility compliance before purchase approval. A VPAT or ACR is the required documentation for that evaluation. Without one, procurement should not proceed.

Watch a VPATs 101 video
 

Who Uses VPATs?

VPATs are most commonly provided by vendors of:

  • Software and web platforms
  • Mobile and desktop applications
  • Hardware and interactive technologies
  • Any digital product used in communication, learning, or administration

Benefits of a VPAT

  • Informed Purchasing: Helps buyers compare products based on accessibility
  • Transparency: Encourages vendors to disclose accessibility limitations and strengths
  • Compliance: Satisfies documentation requirements for accessibility policies and procurement standards
  • Risk Management: Reduces legal and reputational risk by selecting inclusive technologies

VPAT Questions

A completed VPAT or ACR typically includes:

  • Product name, version, and date of evaluation
  • The evaluation method used (automated, manual, third-party auditor, or self-reported)
  • A table of accessibility criteria with a conformance level for each: Supports, Partially Supports, Does Not Support, or Not Applicable
  • Explanatory remarks for any criterion that is partially or not supported
  • The accessibility standards covered: typically WCAG 2.1 AA, Section 508, and/or EN 301 549

When evaluating a new digital product or renewing a contract, request the VPAT before the procurement decision is made. Use these questions to guide the conversation:

Ask the vendorWhy it matters
Do you have a current VPAT or Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)?The date should reflect current standards. A VPAT more than 2–3 years old, or one that references only WCAG 2.0, is likely outdated.
Who completed your accessibility evaluation?Third-party evaluations by accessibility specialists are more reliable than self-reported VPATs.
Which accessibility standards does your product follow?Look for explicit reference to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. UL Lafayette’s required standard.
Have you identified any accessibility issues? What’s your remediation roadmap?A transparent vendor acknowledges limitations and provides a plan. A vendor who claims 100% compliance without caveats should be scrutinized.
Do you provide accessible documentation, training, and user support?Accessibility applies to the product’s support materials, not just the product itself.
Can you assist with accessibility customization post-implementation?Some accessibility fixes require client-side configuration. Know whether vendor support is available.

A VPAT may look like a complex technical grid, but the structure is designed to be interpretable by procurement staff without deep technical expertise.

What to look atWhat it means
Conformance level for each criterion‘Supports’ = fully meets the requirement. ‘Partially Supports’ = some features work, others don’t. ‘Does Not Support’ = the feature is not accessible. ‘Not Applicable’ = the feature doesn’t apply to this product.
Explanatory remarksThe vendor should explain why something is partially or not supported. Vague remarks (‘accessibility is important to us’) without specifics are a red flag.
Standards coverageConfirm the VPAT addresses WCAG 2.1 Level AA specifically. Section 508 and EN 301 549 are also relevant for some purposes.
Date and evaluation methodHow old is the report? Was it evaluated manually, automatically, or by a third party? Automated-only evaluations miss a significant portion of real-world accessibility barriers.
Patterns across criteriaA product that ‘Does Not Support’ keyboard navigation or ‘Partially Supports’ screen reader compatibility is likely to create significant barriers for users with disabilities.

These terms are often used interchangeably, but technically a VPAT is the blank template; an ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report) is the completed document a vendor returns. When you request a VPAT from a vendor, you are asking them to return a completed ACR.

Vendors use different VPAT template versions depending on the standards being reported. For UL Lafayette procurement, request a VPAT that covers WCAG 2.1 Level AA at a minimum. The ‘VPAT 2.x INT’ template (which covers WCAG, Section 508, and EN 301 549) is the most comprehensive option.

If a vendor is unable or unwilling to provide a VPAT, that is a significant risk indicator. Before proceeding:

  • Document the vendor’s response in writing
  • Escalate to your department’s DGA Council representative and to the Office of Legal Affairs
  • Evaluate whether an alternative product with documented accessibility compliance is available
  • If the purchase must proceed, require the vendor to provide a VPAT within a defined timeframe and include accessibility compliance as a contractual obligation

Contact Jeremy Schambaugh (Web Development & IT) or Angie Smith (Finance & Procurement) with questions about specific platforms.