We received an email from a prospective client who wanted to know: what is the difference between an accessibility conformance report (ACR) and an audit report?
We’ll unpack this in 2.5 minutes.
First, we need to start with a VPAT.
Table of Contents
VPAT
A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is just that – a template. You can download a VPAT right now from the ITIC.org website. It’s a standard document that allows us to document accessibility in a uniform way.
When we fill in the applicable details and complete the material accessibility section of the VPAT, the resulting document is an ACR.
ACR
The term VPAT is pervasive in the marketplace, but when people say they want a VPAT, they usually mean they want an ACR. Here’s what’s important to know about ACRs:
- They document your current accessibility state
- You don’t need zero issues to have an ACR
- They’re most valuable when issued by an independent third party
Think of an ACR as an accounting of your product or service’s accessibility. So whatever the current state of accessibility for your product is, that’s what’s going to show up in the ACR.
Some people think it’s a certification – and it could be construed that way if your product is fully conformant with WCAG or another technical standard, but a better way to think of an ACR is as a mirror.
The ACR mirrors and documents whatever the current state of accessibility is when the digital accessibility company audits your product.
Audit
For us to create your ACR, we must audit your product or service against a technical standard (usually WCAG 2.1 AA or WCAG 2.2 AA).
Our audit is a thorough evaluation where we inspect and report on all of the instances of nonconformance against a technical standard. These accessibility issues will show up in your audit report.
An audit report is different from an ACR in multiple ways.
One is an audit is not a standardized document. An ACR contains two columns for each criteria: conformance level and remarks and explanations. In contrast, audit reports can vary. Our audit report will likely be different vs. an audit report produced by another digital accessibility company.
Another difference is audits will be more detailed. For example, our audits contain detailed suggestions on how to fix each accessibility issue. This won’t be the case for an ACR. An ACR merely accounts for accessibility.
Process
Here’s the key to relating these concepts: you need an audit to create an ACR.
So when clients come to us for VPAT services, our process will be to first audit and then to carry those audit results over to the VPAT format. We’ll also fill in the applicable VPAT details.
Importantly, we provide clients with not only the ACR, but also the underlying audit report. This is a big value add because it enables our clients to immediately take action and fix accessibility issues – whether you choose Accessible.org or another provider, make sure you’re also getting the audit report.
Timing
Sometimes clients are in a hurry and just need to quickly provide their client or customer with the ACR. In these cases, we’ll help with a fast turnaround.
But where possible, we always recommend a staggered timeline because then our clients can receive the initial audit, make fixes, and then we can re-audit the fixes. This expanded timeline means the client’s ACR will have less accessibility issues – and maybe even none at all when they give their client or customer the ACR.
Independently Issued
While you can technically create your own ACR, procurement agents typically ask who issued it. Self-issued ACRs carry very little weight because of potential bias and the tendency to underreport issues. That’s why most organizations get ACRs from reputable third-party providers (this immediately excludes companies who sell overlay widgets).
Cost and Timeline
Our audits are $250 – $350 per page or screen and our VPAT service is $550 for the WCAG edition VPAT.
Our timeline is usually 1-2 weeks.
Summary
You need a VPAT and an audit to create an ACR. The VPAT is the template that we fill in and the only way we can complete the VPAT is to audit the product or service.
Need help with an accessibility audit or ACR? We provide both – and we keep the process simple and straightforward.
Contact us to find out your cost and timeline.
