Is VPAT the Same as WCAG?

 The dilemma with my innovative accessibility for software products

As part of my postgraduate degree program, I created an innovative software product at a time when legislation and discourse about the accessibility vpat of electronic and information technology (EIT) products and services had gained significant traction as a result of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) non-compliance issues that many leading businesses were experiencing.

A gentleman challenged me at an exhibition where I was privileged to demonstrate the efficacy of my innovation to imagine myself as a person with a disability and imagine the areas of the product that might cause me difficulty using. This realization altered my perspective on the significance of focusing on end-users when perfecting an innovation.

Curiosity drove me back to information mining to figure out how I could improve the usability of my software product for all people, including people with disabilities. That's how I learned about the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) (WCAG).

My interest in the VPAT and WCAG stemmed from the fact that my software product included a component that required public-facing content, and I imagined it being used by federal government employees as well as federally funded organizations. As a result, I needed to get it right before commercializing the product. During this process, I became intrigued by the differences between VPAT and WCAG.

I recently attended a workshop where the two terms were used interchangeably. That is why I wrote this article to explain how I understand the concepts. I learned the majority of these distinctions from the vast resources provided by ADA Compliance Pros.

VPAT and WCAG: Are they the same thing?

"No," is the answer. VPAT and WCAG are not synonymous. The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) developed a document template that, when completed, details a product's level of conformance with digital accessibility standards.

VPAT

A VPAT is concerned with electronic and information technology (EIT) accessibility, which includes hardware, software, and electronic content. VPATs were created to assist businesses and EIT product and service vendors in demonstrating compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which establishes standards for EIT products and services when dealing with federal government contracts and contracts with federally funded institutions. VPATs are also a common practice for demonstrating digital accessibility in both the private and public sectors, as well as for increasing the social appeal of a product or service by being sensitive to the needs of people with disabilities.

As part of the procurement process, vendors of digital products and services, including developers of software products and platforms, are increasingly being asked to provide evidence of accessibility, which VPAT assessments typically provide.

Accessibility contracting officials and procurement teams can use VPAT to evaluate how commercial EIT products and services support accessibility for people with disabilities. They also enable product developers and vendors to report on how well their products meet the relevant accessibility standards.

The updated standards are reflected in different versions of the VPAT. VPAT 2.4 508: Revised Section 508 Standards that integrate the United States' Federal accessibility standards; VPAT 2.4 EU: EU 301 549 that integrates the European Union's accessibility requirements suitable for public procurement of ICT products and services in Europe; VPAT 2.4 WCAG: WCAG 2.1 or ISO/OEC 40500 that integrates the World Wide Web Consortium's updated Web Content Accessibility Guidelines; and VPAT 2.4 INT that incorporates all three standards.

WCAG

The WCAG is widely regarded as the gold standard for website accessibility. It was developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and provides the best and easiest way to make your website accessible to all customers, including those with disabilities.

WCAG is divided into four categories: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust, with each of the provided success criteria measured at one of three levels: sufficient techniques, advisory techniques, and failures.

Screen reader compatibility, allowing users to enlarge font sizes, and using clear colors and contrasts when designing pages are examples of sufficient technique criteria. The advisory techniques criteria include suggestions for how to improve your website, such as a lack of testability or being based on technology that isn't yet stable enough. The failure criteria include any obstacles that stand between a disadvantaged user and your website. Unless an alternative is provided, these prevent your website from being WCAG compliant.

Get help with your VPAT and WCAG accessibility today

Check out the resources provided by ADA Compliance Pros to learn a lot about VPAT and WCAG. You could also click this link for assistance in creating your VPAT as well as with the WCAG compliance checker for your website. You can also get help by calling (626) 486-2201.