What VPAT Compliance?
VPAT compliance is the clear and accurate documentation, using the appropriate Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), of the conformance of an electronic information and technology (EIT) product or service to the established accessibility standards or guidelines.
VPAT compliance involves adherence to the European EN 301 549 Standards, Section 508 Accessibility Standards, and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
The WCAG VPAT version is the VPAT testing tool for web content and mobile applications, while the Section 508 VPAT and VPAT EU (EN 301 549) are the VPAT scoring tools for assessing the criteria and specifications of EIT products and services based on the Revised Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act and the EU’s EN 301 549 Accessibility Standards.
VPAT compliance should be a key focus for you whether you’re in the procurement process or working to repair or build an EIT product or service that will be used by the general public. Section 508 accessibility compliance will be required if you want the U.S. federal government and its agencies to buy your EIT products or services.
Why Comply With Section 508 Accessibility?
The purpose of the VPAT is to offer more information on how closely an EIT product or service complies with the pertinent accessibility requirements or guidelines.
Vendors of EIT products or services can therefore have more direct and focused conversations during the procurement procedures involving their products or services thanks to Section 508 accessibility compliance.
Section 508 accessibility compliance helps businesses whose EIT products and services are accessible to the U.S. market meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Not conforming to Section 508 accessibility by vendors of EIT products and services available to the U.S. market, on the other hand, could result in legal penalties that could cost a business millions of dollars in legal fees and compensation to people with disabilities who feel discriminated against.
Section 508 accessibility compliance also helps businesses avoid losing their clients to competitors. This is due to the fact that more individuals throughout the world are choosing goods and services they feel are provided by companies and organizations dedicated to promoting positive social change, including accessibility for those with disabilities.
Because some customers might not have the time or patience to thoroughly research an item’s accessibility before buying it, they may rely on Section 508 accessibility compliance mechanisms to verify the accessibility of EIT products and services. This highlights the importance of Section 508 accessibility compliance. In these situations, they rely on the already-in-place Section 508 accessibility compliance systems to choose more accessible goods and services.
Vendors are adopting Section 508 compliance techniques more frequently to raise the caliber of their EIT products and services. Section 508 accessibility compliance helps them influence potential customers to purchase their products or services.
Need Help With Section 508 Accessibility Compliance?
You can learn more about Section 508 accessibility compliance by checking out a Section 508 VPAT example created by accessibility professionals.The VPAT example will show you how to fill out VPAT ACRs for Section 508 accessibility compliance.
If you need further assistance with Section 508 accessibility compliance, call (626) 486-2201 to talk to an accessibility expert today.
