voluntary product accessibility template

Effortlessly create a VPAT 2.4 ACR using our voluntary product accessibility template report example


What is a VPAT 2.4 ACR?

A VPAT 2.4 ACR is an accessibility conformance report (ACR) created using the most recent version of the voluntary product accessibility template (VPAT) that was launched in February 2020. The VPAT 2.4 template includes the European Union (EU) EN 301 548 accessibility standard for publicly procurable information and communication technology (ICT) products and services in the EU.

Similar to a VPAT ACR developed using the original VPAT form, the VPAT 2.4 ACR contains a column that provides information about compliance with each requirement of the standard that is relevant to the targeted ICT product or service. The VPAT 2.4 ACR provides the degree of accessibility of a product or service with four possible degrees of freedom: supports, partially supports, does not support, or not applicable.

The conformance level "partially supports," as you’ll find in the ACR created using the VPAT 2.4 template, replaced the level "supports with exceptions," as was the case in ACRs developed using the original VPAT template. The VPAT 2.4 ACR also contains a column where additional explanations with respect to each reported conformance level are provided.

Something else that you’ll discover when you review a VPAT 2.4 ACR is that it will not contain a date. This is important because when the date was provided in the original VPAT ACR, it brought a conflict with the date of the VPAT ACR. A VPAT 2.4 ACR now has a date in the file name, while information about the template’s version is now captured in the document itself.

An effortless way to create a VPAT 2.4 ACR

Although there are other possible ways to complete a VPAT 2.4 ACR, you can use our VPAT report example to learn how to complete your ACR using the appropriate edition of the VPAT form. You patiently take the following steps as you review the VPAT ACR example to guide you how to fill out the various provisions of the VPAT 2.4 template:

  • Download the appropriate edition of the VPAT 2.4 template

You can freely download the correct edition of the VPAT 2.4 template from the Information Technology Industry Council’s website. Depending on the market you want to sell your ICT products or services for which you want VPAT certification, you can download the Section 508 VPAT, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) VPAT, the European Union (EU) VPAT, and the International (INT) VPAT.

If you want to sell your products or services to federal organizations or federally funded organizations in the United States, you must download the Revised Section 508 or INT editions of the VPAT template, which include all of the Revised Section 508 accessibility requirements.

If you want to sell your products or services in Europe or Australia, then you should download the EU VPAT or the INT VPAT. If your product or service is strictly web-based, then you should download the WCAG VPAT; otherwise, all the accessibility requirements in the WCAG VPAT are included in the other three editions of the VPAT.

  • Read the instructions on the VPAT template and start filling it out

It is assumed at this point that you will have conducted a comprehensive VPAT assessment of the product or service for which you want to create a VPAT 2.4 ACR. In that case, after downloading the correct template, read the instructions carefully, and remove the instruction pages when you submit the ACR.

Go page by page and fill out every section as you review its equivalent on our VPAT report example. You should fill out the title page first before proceeding to the subsequent pages. Ensure you understand the columns comprising the main body of the VPAT 2.4 template. Keep referring to our VPAT ACR example whenever in doubt about what to fill in.

  • Fill out the VPAT template in a way that encourages discussion

When completing the VPAT 2.4 template, always keep asking yourself whether the information you’ve provided facilitates conversations between you and the buyers of your product or service. If it doesn’t, review to ensure that is the case.

The great thing about creating your ACR using a VPAT 2.4 template is that you can simply declare the level of conformance of their EIT product or service by choosing one of four options on the template: "supports," "partially supports," "does not support," or "not applicable."

Always ensure that the information you provide in the ACR helps reduce your buyers’ procurement time.

  • Examine your VPAT ACR to ensure that it is complete.

Submitting an incomplete VPAT ACR always casts doubt on the credibility of the certification. Therefore, once you’re done filling out the template, crosscheck to ensure it is completely filled out.

  • Always get help from a third-party VPAT professional

As you may have noticed, completing a VPAT template requires prior assessment of the accessibility of your product or service. This step of the VPAT certification journey may require someone with enhanced technical knowledge of accessibility to interrogate the various features and functionalities of your product or service with a sense of objectivity. Always endeavor to engage an unbiased auditor to conduct your VPAT audit of your products or services, as this normally adds a great deal of credibility to your ACR.

Need help filling out your VPAT 2.4 template?

Get help with filling out your VPAT 2.4 template from our VPAT 2.4 ACR Consultants Today by calling (626) 486-2201 to arrange a free consultation with them.