A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is a standardized form, published by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), that a vendor completes to report how a product conforms to accessibility standards, one criterion at a time. A completed VPAT for a specific product and version is called an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), though “VPAT” is used for both in everyday speech. The current template is VPAT 2.5Rev (April 2025), available in four editions: 508 (revised Section 508 standards), EU (EN 301 549), WCAG (WCAG 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2) and INT (all three combined).

Why buyers ask for one

Section 508 requires United States federal agencies to procure accessible information and communication technology, and the ACR is how a vendor demonstrates it. State and local governments, colleges and universities, healthcare organizations and large enterprises have adopted the same requirement in their own procurement, so any company selling software, a platform or a digital service to those buyers is asked for a VPAT, usually during vendor review alongside security and privacy documentation.

What it contains

A cover section records the product and version, report date, contact, evaluation methods (tools, screen readers, browsers, testers) and scope. Each standards table then lists every criterion with a conformance level and a remarks column. The four conformance levels are:

  • Supports: the functionality meets the criterion without known defects.
  • Partially Supports: some functionality does not meet the criterion; the remarks say which.
  • Does Not Support: most of the functionality does not meet the criterion.
  • Not Applicable: the criterion is not relevant to the product.

What a credible ACR requires

An ACR is only as good as the accessibility audit behind it: automated scanning plus manual keyboard and screen reader testing against WCAG 2.2 AA, with findings recorded per criterion. Reviewers expect a precise scope, named evaluation methods, a realistic mix of Supports and Partially Supports with explanatory remarks, a version and date, and a real contact. A report showing Supports in every row, or one that relies on an accessibility overlay, is treated as a warning sign rather than evidence. Our guide to what a VPAT is and how to complete one walks through the process.

VPATs and websites

A VPAT describes a product a buyer acquires, so a company’s marketing website does not normally need one; it needs to be accessible under the ADA and should carry an accessibility statement. A web application, portal or platform that is itself the product does need an ACR, and the audit that produces it also establishes the application’s ADA compliance.

Producing conformance reports for web applications is part of our ADA compliance services.