VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) or ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report) has become a global reporting format for buyers and sellers to display the accessibility conformance of their ICT products and services. The VPAT includes all the leading and important standards’ latest editions such as Section 508, EN 301 549, and WCAG. The INT edition of VPAT contains all these three accessibility standards.
The idea behind VPAT development was to make it easy for procurement agencies to make informed decisions to buy the right information and communication technology (ICT) products and services.
Since there are four editions of VPAT available, it is mandatory to understand what major differences they have, and which edition is applicable to ICT products.
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This article will help you understand the required information on all these four VPAT editions. Read along!
VPAT 2.5 with eminent international accessibility standards
ITI maintains the relevancy of all its editions by updating them regularly as per the global development demand in ICT.
Though the original essence of VPAT is consistent throughout its all versions, the latest version VPAT 2.5 has a column for recording conformance to each provision of a standard relevant to a product or service. Vendors declare their level of conformance by mentioning any of these options:
Supports, partially supports, does not support, or not applicable.
However, the ‘partially supports’ option was replaced by ‘supports with exceptions’ in VPAT 2.3 on the popular demand of the U.S. Access Board. Also, version 2.5 incorporates a column for giving detailed explanations for each reported conformance level.
The guidelines included in all the four editions of VPAT are:
- VPAT Section 508 – It is revised Section 508 standards mainly used by U.S. Federal agencies. WCAG 2.0 guidelines are included in the VPAT 508 edition.
- VPAT EN 301 549 – The European Union’s accessibility requirements for ICT procurement are covered in this VPAT edition. WCAG 2.1 standards are incorporated in the EU edition.
- VPAT WCAG – This VPAT edition contains WCAG 2.2, or ISE/IEC 40500 guidelines and it is used by a major part of the world to maintain VPAT’s requirements.
- VPAT INT – Includes all the above three standards.
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Difference among all the four renowned accessibility standards VPAT report:
WCAG and INT edition:
- Instructions and applicable standards are updated in version 2.5.
- The 9 new criteria have been added to the WCAG tables, and it is notified that 4.1.1 Parsing is obsolete in WCAG 2.2. (VPAT 2.5)
- Indicated changes to WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 that 4.1.1 Parsing automatically “Supports”. (This change is updated in EU and Section 508 edition as well for VPAT 2.5)
- 2.1.1 Keyboards and 2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts are added for closed products and this information is added in 5.1.3.1 through 5.1.3.16’ for the provisions that cover software requirements for these closed products. (VPAT 2.5)
- 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value changed from ‘Not required’ to ‘Does not apply’ for 11.4.1.2.2 (for closed products). (VPAT 2.4 Rev update)
- VPAT 2.3 added an explanatory note informing that WCAG 2.1 usage is optional.
EU edition:
- There are various additions/changes in WCAG success criteria 3.1.5, 3.1.6, 3.2.5, 3.3.5, 3.3.6 (Level AAA) in VPAT 2.5.
- Fixed typo in instructions (VPAT 2.5).
- EN 301 549 Chapter 10 name changed from ‘non-web’ to ‘non-web documents’ in the instructions. (Update happened in VPAT 2.4 Rev)
- VPAT 2.3 changed WCAG references to WCAG 2.x and removed references to 508 standards. And best practices for authors were added.
Section 508 edition:
- It has only a 4.1.1 Parsing update for the VPAT 2.5 version.
- In VPAT 2.3, WCAG 2.1 references were removed and links to revised 508 standards were added.
There are some other updates as well. Read detailed information on changes and updates in different versions of VPAT.
Key Differences Between VPAT Editions
| Aspect | VPAT 508 | VPAT EU | VPAT WCAG | VPAT INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | U.S. federal compliance | EU accessibility standards | Global web standards | International compliance |
| Standards | Section 508, WCAG 2.0 A/AA | EN 301 549, WCAG 2.1 | WCAG 2.0/2.1 | Section 508, EN 301 549, WCAG 2.1 |
| Best For | U.S.-focused organizations | EU-focused organizations | Web content creators | Multinational organizations |
So, all four editions of VPAT are different in terms of WCAG versions they include, and the other updates happened gradually. However, they all contain,
- Mandatory instructions and best practices to use VPAT service mark to produce consistent and complete reporting of ICT products and services.
- A product description field describe correct and concise product description.
- Evaluation methods used field mention methods that are utilized to create and test ICT product’s accessibility.
- Notes field provides the report and additional details about testing and evaluation methods.
- Comes in a Microsoft Word file that can be reproduced and used in other formats as well.
- Definition language is consistent for the term “Not Evaluated” in VPAT 2.5.
- VPAT 2.3 changed “date” to “report date”, made standard citations across the tables, and removed extra space in EN 301 549 throughout all editions.
Wrapping up
Understanding the differences between VPAT 508, VPAT EU, VPAT WCAG, and VPAT INT helps organizations select and prepare the appropriate accessibility conformance report for their target market and regulatory requirements. However, a VPAT should not be viewed as a guarantee that every user will experience a product or service without accessibility barriers.
The quality of the report depends heavily on accurate testing, evidence, and transparent documentation. Combining automated checks, manual evaluation, assistive technology testing, and real user flows can provide a more reliable foundation for documenting conformance and identifying areas that still require remediation.
Skynet Technologies provides accessibility assessment and VPAT/ACR services, helping organizations evaluate digital products, document accessibility findings, address complex barriers, and prepare detailed conformance reports based on applicable requirements. Request a Free VPAT Accessibility Quote to discuss your product or digital asset.
