Understanding a VPAT and VPAT accessibility
“VPAT accessibility,” “accessibility VPAT,” and “VPAT assessment” are terms that anyone involved in the electronic information technology (EIT) product and service arena, whether vendors or buyers, should be well-versed with.That is because they frequently feature in the procurement requirements for IET products and services. All of the terms have an association with the VPAT template.
What Is A VPAT Template?
A VPAT template, or simply VPAT, is a standard template that is used by vendors of electronic information technology (EIT) products and services to report on the accessibility of the products or services in light of the requirements of the Revised Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act.
The VPAT template was developed by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC) in collaboration with the federal government’s General Services Administration (GSA) in order to support the evaluation of how accessible EIT products and services align with Section 508 Standards.Accessibility VPAT is the cornerstone of VPAT accessibility.
What Is Accessibility VPAT?
The Accessibility VPAT refers to the VPAT that is able to guide a vendor to self-declare the accessibility status of his or her EIT products or services. The accessibility VPAT for one EIT product or service may not be the accessibility VPAT for another. That is why choosing the correct accessibility VPAT for your EIT product or service prior to undertaking a VPAT assessment is very essential.
The VPAT is available in four versions: the Revised Section 508 VPAT, the European Union (EN 301 549) VPAT, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 or 2.1 VPAT, and the VPAT International (INT). For instance, if you employ Section 508 VPAT for the U.S. federal government market, it will prevent you from selling your products or services in the EU. To ensure VPAT accessibility, it is crucial to select the appropriate accessibility VPAT.
What Is VPAT Accessibility?
VPAT accessibility is the practice of ensuring that all electronic information and technology products and services are versioned in multi-perception and use ways for the broadest available human use, including people with disabilities, as required by the Revised Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Without VPAT accessibility, a vendor’s EIT products and services cannot be considered for procurement by the federal government or any of its agencies. If a product lacks VPAT accessibility, the procuring officials will not consider buying it even if it is of better quality than others that are available.
VPAT Assessment
The VPAT assessment of an EIT product or service is the evaluation of the product or service’s accessibility in accordance with the Revised Section 508 Standards or other established relevant standards, using the appropriate accessibility VPAT.
In order to help the procurement community understand the levels of accessibility conformance that the EIT products and services on the market have, the VPAT assessments capture the specifications for the available EIT products and services.
The VPAT capture of the accessibility specifications of EIT products and services by VPAT assessments helps the procurement community to understand the levels of accessibility conformance that the EIT products and services in the market have.
The assessments also provide businesses with key insights on the features of their products and services that require amending to make them more accessible. This assists them in the continuous improvement of the quality of the products and services, which impacts positively on their revenues and profits.
Need Help With VPAT Assessments?
If you need help with VPAT assessments, you can check here for a Section 508 VPAT example to guide you. If, however, you want to make your inquiry about VPAT accessibility and conduct a professional VPAT assessment, call (626) 486-2201 to talk to a VPAT accessibility expert.
