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Audits, VPATs, and ACRs

Accessibility audits can be useful and sometimes required. Here's what you need to know.

Introduction

You may have heard the terms Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® (VPAT) and Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) used in the context of website accessibility. You may have been told you need to have an ACR as part of your organization’s compliance requirement or to do business with another organization.

This guide explains these artifacts, why you might need them, and how to produce them.

What’s a VPAT, what’s an ACR?

These terms are sometimes used interchangeably but, while closely related, are different. Essentially, an ACR is the result of completing a VPAT.

VPAT

A VPAT, or Voluntary Product Accessibility Template®, is a template that, when filled out, can be used to document how accessible your product or service is according to various accessibility criteria. By completing a VPAT, you create an ACR.

ACR

An ACR, or Accessibility Conformance Report, is an itemized report that documents how a product or service meets a set of accessibility criteria.

Notice The VPAT has become the de facto standard for creating ACRs, particularly as part of a government or enterprise procurement process. Still, there could be rare cases where an ACR is produced using another template. For this guide, we assume you will use a VPAT.

Is an ACR required?

The “V” in VPAT stands for voluntary but in the US some public bodies, government agencies, and other institutions that receive US federal funding are required to have an ACR on record.

Typically, for private businesses and organizations, an ACR is indeed voluntary. However, you may be asked to produce an ACR as part of a procurement process, meaning that if you want to do business with such an organization, you must create an ACR.

Even when an ACR is not required, having one available is a good way to show your commitment to accessibility and legal compliance, which could improve your chances of securing potential contracts.

How to get started

Unless you are asked to use a different template, we recommend that you start with one of the official VPAT templates provided by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI). You can download these templates (in DOCX format, MS Word compatible) for free from their website.

Let’s walk through the steps of how to select and work with a VPAT:

Choose a VPAT edition

The latest version of VPAT is 2.5, released November 01, 2023. Several editions of the template are available, each based on a different set of accessibility criteria. The one you choose typically depends on the client to whom you provide your ACR.

If in doubt, the WCAG-based edition is a good all-around choice. The following sections assume you are completing the WCAG edition, but you should follow the instructions for whichever VPAT you select.

Choose a version of WCAG

The WCAG edition of the VPAT will ask you to identify which version of WCAG you are evaluating your website against. You may be given the target version as part of the requirements or choose one yourself.

Version 2.2 is a safe and future-proof target since it is the most recent and extends version 2.0 and 2.1.

The different versions are briefly explained below:

Notice Learn more about WCAG basics in our What is WCAG? Guide.

Choose a conformance level

The WCAG edition of the VPAT will also ask you to identify which conformance level you are evaluating your website against. You may be given the conformance level as part of the requirements or choose one yourself.

There are three different WCAG levels to choose from:

Even if you use level A or AA as your baseline goal, you may still aim to implement a higher level in some circumstances. For example, you may meet level AA everywhere at a minimum, but sometimes you may achieve the highest AAA level, too.

Notice Each level builds on the preceding levels, so delivering level AA includes achieving level A, too.

Decide on an evaluation method

As part of the VPAT, you will be asked to describe the evaluation method used. It may be impractical to audit every page of a large website, so start by considering what to test.

Identify critical pages and user journeys

Sampling a manageable number of web pages that provide a good representation of the whole may be required for large websites. Here’s how to choose which pages to test:

Key pages

User journeys

Identify tools and techniques

When describing the evaluation method used, include a variety of tools and techniques. Below are some examples.

If you use proprietary tools or techniques specific to your application, describe them in the VPAT as well.

Complete the checks and record the results

The WCAG edition of the VPAT includes tables with columns for criteria, conformance level, and remarks and explanations.

What does each of the possible conformance levels mean?

Now you have an ACR

The VPAT you completed essentially becomes your ACR. While it is only a snapshot of your website’s accessibility health, you should treat it as valuable documentation of the work you’ve accomplished and what you still have left to do.

Regularly review and update your ACR to ensure it reflects any changes or improvements in your website’s accessibility.

Can I complete a VPAT myself?

There is no official standard for who is qualified to complete a VPAT. You could complete a VPAT yourself, but the job will require you to have a good understanding of accessibility standards and the ability to use the various testing tools and techniques to evaluate your website.

If you’re not confident in your ability to perform an accessibility audit and create these documents, consider employing a specialist. It is not uncommon for third-party auditors or accessibility consultants to complete VPATs on behalf of vendors.

The cost of this kind of service can vary significantly depending on several factors. Expect it to rise with the website’s complexity and size, the auditor’s experience and qualifications, the depth of analysis required (for example, whether remediation recommendations are included), and the turnaround time.