Standards Referenced
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Request an AuditVPAT vs. ACR Explained
The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is an open template created by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI). When a vendor or independent specialist evaluates a software product and fills out the template with testing evidence, the completed document is formally called an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR).
The Four VPAT Editions
Choose the edition corresponding to your customer market:
- VPAT 508: U.S. Federal Section 508 standards.
- VPAT WCAG: W3C WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 guidelines (commercial enterprises and state governments).
- VPAT EU: European standard EN 301 549.
- VPAT INT: International edition combining 508, WCAG, and EN 301 549 into a single document.
Understanding Conformance Ratings
Each criterion is rated using strict terminology: Supports (fully meets criterion), Partially Supports (some functionality meets criterion, with known limitations), Does Not Support (majority fails), Not Applicable, or Not Evaluated.
How Buyers Scrutinize an ACR
Government and enterprise procurement teams reject ACRs with empty remarks or boilerplate claims of full compliance. Defensible ACRs detail the exact testing methodology, assistive technologies tested, known defects, and scheduled remediation roadmap.
TaggedWorks Procurement Advisory
Digital Accessibility Engineering & Research Practice
TaggedWorks research publications are authored by practicing accessibility engineers and technical specialists. Our recommendations reflect current WCAG 2.2 interpretations, browser behavior, and assistive technology support tables.