- A VPAT (completed as an ACR) is required for selling to U.S. federal agencies (Section 508).
- Enterprise, healthcare, and education buyers increasingly require ACRs in procurement.
- Self-reported VPATs are increasingly rejected — independent audit-backed ACRs are the standard.
- complyTech produces audit-backed VPATs by IAAP-certified evaluators starting at $1,500.
- Annual VPAT updates are required to keep documentation current for ongoing contracts.
What Is a VPAT?
A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is a standardized document format published by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) that describes how a software product, website, or digital service conforms to accessibility standards. When filled in by a qualified evaluator, the completed document is officially called an ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report).
VPATs can be issued against multiple standards — the most common are:
- VPAT 2.x WCAG — references Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.x directly
- VPAT 2.x 508 — references Section 508 standards (incorporating WCAG 2.0 by reference)
- VPAT 2.x EU — references EU EN 301 549 standard for European procurement
- VPAT 2.x WCAG + 508 + EU — combined international version
When Do You Need a VPAT?
Federal Government Sales
Required by law under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. All IT products and services procured by federal agencies must have a VPAT/ACR.
Enterprise B2B Procurement
Fortune 500 and large enterprise buyers increasingly require ACRs as part of vendor due diligence. A missing or self-reported VPAT can block deals.
Healthcare & Education
Hospital systems, universities, K–12 districts, and healthcare organizations routinely require VPAT documentation from digital vendors.
ADA Risk Mitigation
A current, audit-backed VPAT demonstrates good-faith compliance effort — valuable documentation in ADA demand letter defense and settlement negotiations.
VPAT Pricing
| Product Type | Price Range | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Website ACR (up to 50 pages) | $1,500–$3,500 | Full WCAG 2.2 audit + VPAT 2.5 WCAG |
| SaaS Product ACR | $3,500–$7,500 | Full feature audit + combined VPAT (508 + WCAG) |
| Mobile App ACR | $2,500–$5,000 | iOS + Android accessibility audit + VPAT |
| Annual VPAT Update | 40–60% of original | Re-test of changed areas + updated ACR |
Frequently Asked Questions
A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is a standardized document that describes how an IT product, software, or website conforms to accessibility standards (Section 508 and WCAG). When completed by an independent auditor, the document is called an ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report). VPATs are required by federal agencies and many enterprise buyers before purchasing software or digital services.
You need a VPAT when: (1) selling to U.S. federal agencies (required under Section 508), (2) pursuing enterprise B2B deals where procurement has accessibility due diligence requirements, (3) contracting with state/local government, (4) selling to healthcare systems or educational institutions with accessibility procurement policies, or (5) demonstrating good-faith ADA compliance as a risk mitigation document.
A VPAT is the blank template published by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI). An ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report) is the completed version of that template — filled in with specific conformance findings for your product by a qualified accessibility evaluator. When customers ask for your 'VPAT', they typically mean your completed ACR.
A VPAT/ACR should be completed by a qualified accessibility evaluator — typically an IAAP-certified accessibility professional who has conducted a thorough audit of the product. Self-reported VPATs filled in by product teams without independent audit are increasingly rejected by procurement teams, who recognize that internal teams have incentives to overclaim conformance.
complyTech VPAT documentation services start at $1,500 for website ACRs based on a full accessibility audit. SaaS product VPATs typically cost $3,500–$7,500 depending on feature complexity. Annual VPAT updates (required to keep documentation current) cost 40–60% of the original audit price.