To fill out a VPAT, we first need to conduct an accessibility audit and identify issues we need to report on.
Once we have these issues, then we can fill in the most important section of the VPAT, the accessibility table.
We’ll cover the full process of filling in a VPAT step-by-step and at the end I’ll show you how AI can auto generate your VPAT and save you hours of time (after you have your audit report).
| Step | What It Involves |
|---|---|
| Conduct Audit | Evaluate product against WCAG using screen reader testing, keyboard testing, visual inspection, and code review |
| Complete Details Section | Document product name, version, report date, contact information, and evaluation methods used |
| Fill In Accessibility Table | Enter conformance level and remarks for each WCAG criterion based on audit findings |
| Remove Instructions and Publish | Delete template instructions, verify completeness, and publish the final ACR |
Table of Contents
Step 1: Conduct an accessibility audit
An accessibility audit is a formal evaluation of your product or service against a technical standard. Most organizations audit against WCAG 2.1 AA or WCAG 2.2 AA.
The audit should use multiple evaluation methods:
- Screen reader testing with NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver
- Keyboard navigation testing
- Visual inspection of all content
- Code inspection
- Browser zoom testing at 200% and 400%
- Color contrast analysis
- Automated scanning as a secondary check
Each method catches different types of issues. Screen reader testing reveals problems that affect blind users. Keyboard testing identifies barriers for people who cannot use a mouse. Visual inspection catches issues with color and layout. Code inspection verifies proper semantic structure.
The audit produces a detailed report documenting every accessibility issue found, where it occurs, which WCAG criterion is applicable, and how to fix it. This report becomes the foundation for fill in the VPAT.
Step 2: Choose the right VPAT edition
Before filling in any fields, confirm you have the correct VPAT edition for your market.
The WCAG edition works for most products and services. The Section 508 edition is required when selling to U.S. federal agencies. The EN 301 549 edition aligns with European Accessibility Act (EAA) requirements. The INT edition combines all three standards for products sold globally.
If a buyer specifies an edition, use that one. When no edition is specified, Accessible.org recommends the WCAG edition as a default.
Step 3: Complete the details section
The VPAT has two main sections. The details section captures administrative information about your product and the evaluation process.
Required fields include:
- Report Title: Use the format “[Company Name] Accessibility Conformance Report”
- VPAT Heading Information: Template version used
- Name of Product/Version: Include version identifier if available
- Report Date: At minimum, month and year of publication
- Product Description: Brief description of the product or service
- Contact Information: Email address for follow-up questions
- Notes: Any additional details about the product or report
- Evaluation Methods Used: Description of testing methods employed
- Applicable Standards/Guidelines: Which WCAG version the report covers
The Evaluation Methods field matters to buyers. Describe the assistive technologies used, manual testing procedures, and any automated tools employed as secondary checks. This transparency builds credibility.
You can add scope under the notes section. This is also very important.
Step 4: Fill in the accessibility table
The accessibility table is where you document conformance for each WCAG criterion. Every row represents a specific success criterion, and you must provide two pieces of information for each: a conformance level and remarks.
Conformance level options are:
- Supports: The product meets the criterion without known issues
- Partially Supports: Some functionality does not meet the criterion
- Does Not Support: Most functionality does not meet the criterion
- Not Applicable: The criterion does not apply to the product
- Not Evaluated: Only permitted for Level AAA criteria
The remarks and explanations column requires detailed information whenever your product partially supports or does not support a criterion. Identify which functions or features have issues and explain how they fail to meet the requirement. If the criterion does not apply, explain why. If an accessible alternative exists, describe it.
An empty remarks column is a red flag to procurement agents. Even when your product fully supports a criterion, brief supporting details add credibility.
Step 5: Fix issues before finalizing (optional)
Some organizations issue the ACR immediately after the audit. Others pause to remediate issues first.
Fixing accessibility issues before ACR issuance results in a cleaner report. This can improve your standing in procurement evaluations. Accessible.org clients use the Accessibility Tracker platform to manage remediation workflows, track fixes, and validate corrections before the final ACR is issued.
The decision depends on your timeline and resources. If a procurement deadline is tight, issuing the ACR with documented issues may be necessary. If time permits, remediation first is the stronger approach.
Step 6: Remove instructions and publish
The VPAT template includes instructional pages at the beginning. Remove these entirely before publishing your ACR. The final document should contain only the completed details section and accessibility tables.
Verify that every criterion has a response in both the Conformance Level and Remarks columns. Check that the final document itself is accessible. Then post the ACR on your website or provide it to buyers upon request.
When to update your ACR
An ACR reflects your product at a specific point in time. Updates are warranted when you release new features or versions, complete significant remediation, or when buyers require documentation based on a newer WCAG version.
Most organizations refresh their ACR every one to two years or after major product changes.
AI VPATs
Manually transferring audit findings into a VPAT is labor-intensive and time-consuming. AI can now automate this process inside of Accessibility Tracker. Here’s how it works:
Upload your audit report and AI analyzes each issue, maps it to the corresponding WCAG criterion, determines the appropriate conformance level, and generates remarks and explanations. What previously took hours of careful documentation now takes minutes.
The AI examines your audit findings to identify which criteria have issues and which are fully supported. It then populates the accessibility table with accurate conformance levels and detailed remarks that explain any failures or partial support.
Now you need to manually review your AI VPAT to ensure accuracy and completeness. You can edit any entries before exporting the final ACR document.
This approach maintains accuracy while eliminating the manual effort of filling in dozens of WCAG criteria one by one. The audit still requires human expertise, but the documentation step is significantly easier through hybrid automation.
Sign up to use our AI VPAT generation app at AccessibilityTracker.com.
Do you have questions about our VPAT service? Send us a message and we’ll be right with you.
