A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a standardized reporting template used to document how an information and communication technology product or service conforms to recognized accessibility requirements. It was developed by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) and is widely used by technology vendors and buyers, including U.S. federal agencies.
The VPAT itself is not an accessibility certification. Vendors evaluate their technology against the criteria included in the appropriate VPAT edition and document the results. Once the template has been completed with product-specific testing results, the finished document is called an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR).
For companies selling software, hardware, digital platforms, electronic content, and other ICT to federal agencies, understanding VPAT requirements is particularly important. Federal agencies must consider accessibility when procuring ICT, and accessibility documentation can be reviewed during market research and proposal evaluation.
How a VPAT Works
A VPAT provides a common structure for evaluating and reporting accessibility. Instead of allowing every technology vendor to describe accessibility using its own terminology and format, the template organizes relevant standards into specific criteria that can be reviewed individually.
Before completing the template, the product owner or developer should test the technology against the applicable accessibility standards. Section508.gov identifies manual testing, automated testing, or a combination of methods as information that should be documented in the resulting ACR. The evaluation may also identify the tools and techniques used to assess the product.
A completed VPAT generally contains information such as:
- company or organization name;
- product name and version;
- report date;
- description of the product;
- contact information;
- accessibility evaluation methods;
- applicable accessibility criteria;
- conformance levels;
- remarks explaining the reported results.
The conformance information is one of the most important parts of the document. Vendors report how their product performs against individual criteria using defined conformance terminology. Explanations are especially important when a product only partially supports a criterion or does not support it.
For example, a web application might meet a requirement across most of its interface but have a specific component that presents an accessibility barrier. The report should identify that limitation rather than simply making a broad statement that the application is accessible.
This level of detail helps buyers understand both the strengths and limitations of a product. It also makes competing technologies easier to compare because vendors are reporting against a common set of accessibility criteria.
VPAT Editions and Accessibility Standards
There is not one VPAT edition for every procurement situation. ITI maintains several editions designed around different accessibility standards and markets. As of 2026, the current family is VPAT 2.5Rev, published in April 2025.
The four editions serve different purposes:
| VPAT Edition | Standards Covered | Typical Application |
|---|---|---|
| VPAT 2.5Rev 508 | Revised Section 508 | ICT offered to U.S. federal agencies |
| VPAT 2.5Rev WCAG | WCAG standards | Web and digital accessibility reporting |
| VPAT 2.5Rev EU | EN 301 549 | European accessibility requirements |
| VPAT 2.5Rev INT | Section 508, EN 301 549 and WCAG | Products offered across multiple markets |
ITI states that the International edition incorporates the standards addressed by the other editions. The appropriate version therefore depends on where the technology is being offered and which accessibility standards the buyer requires.
For vendors targeting U.S. federal agencies, the Revised Section 508 requirements are particularly important. Section508.gov instructs vendors selling to the federal government to use the Revised Section 508 or International edition because those editions include the applicable Revised Section 508 requirements.
The correct edition should be selected before the accessibility assessment is documented. Using a VPAT designed for a different standard may leave federal buyers without the information needed to evaluate the product against applicable Section 508 requirements.
Vendors should also pay attention to the version of the template. Accessibility standards and the VPAT format can evolve, so relying indefinitely on a report prepared using an old template can create problems. ITI provides the current templates and supporting documentation through its official VPAT resources.
VPAT vs. Accessibility Conformance Report
VPAT and ACR are often used interchangeably in procurement discussions, but there is an important technical difference. The VPAT is the template, while the ACR is the completed accessibility report.
The relationship can be understood in three steps:
- A vendor selects the appropriate VPAT edition for the applicable accessibility standards.
- The product is evaluated against the relevant criteria and the results are entered into the template.
- The completed VPAT becomes an Accessibility Conformance Report describing the accessibility of that product or service.
ITI explicitly describes a completed VPAT containing documented testing results as an ACR.
This distinction is useful when federal solicitations ask vendors for accessibility documentation. A request to “submit a VPAT” generally means that the agency expects a completed, product-specific report, not the blank template downloaded from ITI.
The word “Voluntary” can also create confusion. The VPAT is a voluntary standardized reporting format developed by ITI, but federal accessibility obligations are not voluntary. Section508.gov explains that federal agencies must purchase accessible ICT in accordance with Section 508 and may request an ACR so they can evaluate a product’s accessibility. It also notes that while using the VPAT itself is not mandatory, providing an ACR may be necessary for the government to consider purchasing the product, unless an applicable exception exists.
A VPAT should therefore not be interpreted as a certificate issued by the federal government, GSA, or ITI. It is a structured mechanism for reporting accessibility evaluation results. The underlying product assessment and the accuracy of the information entered into the report remain critical.
How Federal Agencies Use VPAT Information
Federal agencies use accessibility documentation at several points in the acquisition process. During market research, an agency may review available ACRs to identify commercially available technologies and compare their accessibility characteristics. Section508.gov recommends considering multiple possible solutions and documenting how they address the government’s business and accessibility needs.
Accessibility information can also be requested directly in a solicitation. Depending on what is being purchased, agencies may require an ACR for each applicable commercial ICT item and may request additional information about testing, accessibility features, configuration, or known limitations.
A federal buyer may use a completed VPAT-based ACR to:
- determine which accessibility criteria a product supports;
- identify criteria that are only partially supported;
- understand known accessibility limitations;
- compare competing ICT solutions;
- review how the vendor tested the product;
- evaluate whether the proposed technology addresses solicitation requirements.
The report is evidence for the evaluation, but agencies should not rely blindly on vendor claims. Section508.gov advises agencies evaluating proposals to validate accessibility claims against their stated requirements and notes that accessibility testing can be used to verify the technology before award or deployment.
A product also does not necessarily have to satisfy every applicable criterion to remain under consideration. Federal guidance recognizes situations in which no technically acceptable commercial solution fully conforms to the Revised Section 508 Standards. In such circumstances, agencies have procedures for evaluating which available solution best meets the applicable standards consistent with business needs.
This makes accurate reporting especially important. A vendor gains little by hiding a known accessibility limitation because an agency may evaluate the product, request clarification, or perform additional testing. Detailed explanations give evaluators more useful information than unsupported claims of complete compliance.
VPAT Considerations for Federal Contractors
Federal contractors offering ICT should treat accessibility documentation as part of product and contract management, not as paperwork prepared once and forgotten. This applies to companies offering software, SaaS solutions, hardware, web-based systems, electronic content, and other technologies used by federal agencies.
One of the most important considerations is keeping the ACR aligned with the actual product. Section508.gov states that an updated ACR may be required when a product changes, including version changes and bug fixes that affect accessibility. Reports based on the original 2001 Section 508 Standards also need to be updated to address the Revised Section 508 Standards published in 2017.
This issue is particularly relevant to cloud software. A SaaS platform can change frequently as navigation, forms, dashboards, controls, authentication processes, and other user interface elements are updated. A report describing an earlier version may no longer accurately represent the accessibility of the current product.
Contractors should therefore establish a practical VPAT and ACR maintenance process:
- evaluate the product against the applicable accessibility criteria before completing the report;
- use the VPAT edition appropriate to the target market and solicitation;
- identify the tested product and version clearly;
- describe evaluation methods rather than making unsupported accessibility claims;
- explain partial or failed conformance where applicable;
- review accessibility documentation after material product changes;
- make the current ACR easy for government buyers to find.
Section508.gov specifically recommends making a product’s ACR readily available on the vendor’s website, such as by linking it from the relevant product description page.
Contractors should also check each solicitation rather than assuming that a standard VPAT-based ACR is the only documentation required. Agencies may request additional accessibility information or demonstrations, particularly when commercial products will be configured or modified to meet contract requirements.
GSA has also developed the ACR Editor for creating machine-readable accessibility reports in the OpenACR format. This provides another way to structure and share accessibility information, while the VPAT remains a widely used method for creating ACRs for ICT products and services.
For a federal contractor, the practical value of the VPAT is straightforward. It provides a recognized framework for turning accessibility testing into information that government acquisition teams can review and compare. A current, product-specific, and accurately completed report gives federal buyers considerably more useful information than a general claim that a technology solution is accessible.
