VPATs and ACRs are essential documentation for winning contracts and demonstrating your commitment to accessibility. At Accessible.org, we provide independently issued, excellent quality ACRs that detail and accurately account for the accessibility of your product or service.
| Key Point | What It Means for You |
|---|---|
| Independent ACR Issuance | Our third-party ACRs carry more weight with procurement agents than self-completed documentation |
| Remediation Pause Option | Fix accessibility issues before we issue your ACR, resulting in cleaner documentation |
| Technical Expertise | Our auditors use multiple methodologies to ensure accurate and complete accessibility accounting |
| Quick Turnaround | Most clients receive their ACR within 2 weeks of contacting us |
Table of Contents
Our Approach to VPATs
We understand that an ACR is more than just documentation – it’s your ticket to procurement eligibility and market competitiveness. Our approach centers on providing excellent quality audits that translate into reputable ACRs that procurement agents trust.
When you work with Accessible.org, you’re getting:
- Technical experts who thoroughly evaluate your product or service
- Detailed remarks and explanations that demonstrate thoughtfulness
- Clear documentation that accurately mirrors your accessibility status
- Professional support throughout the entire process
The Power of Independent ACRs
Why Independent Issuance Matters
Procurement agents scrutinize ACR documentation to determine reliability. They’re looking for answers to critical questions:
- Was an audit conducted?
- Who conducted the audit?
- What evaluation methodologies were used?
- Is the issuing company reputable?
An independently issued ACR from Accessible.org addresses these concerns directly. Most organizations lack the internal accessibility expertise to conduct proper audits, and there’s inherent bias when product teams assess their own accessibility. Discerning buyers know this, which is why they favor third-party documentation.
Winning Contracts with Quality Documentation
Your ACR becomes a powerful differentiator when:
- It’s issued by a reputable digital accessibility company
- The audit uses diverse evaluation methodologies
- An experienced technical expert conducts the assessment
- The remarks and explanations column shows genuine evaluation
This is exactly what we provide. Our ACRs help clients win contracts because procurement teams can rely on the documentation to accurately reflect accessibility status.
Our Unique Process: Pause for Remediation
The Remediation Pause Advantage
Unlike other providers who audit and immediately issue an ACR, we offer something different. After we deliver your audit report, we pause the ACR issuance process. This gives your development team time to fix accessibility issues before we complete the VPAT.
Here’s how it works:
- We conduct the audit
- We deliver the audit report
- Your team begins remediation
- We validate fixes
- Once you’re satisfied, we issue the ACR
This approach means you can present a cleaner ACR – if not fully conformant documentation – to procurement agents. We still validate all fixes to ensure they’re implemented correctly, but you have control over when the ACR is issued.
Thorough Evaluation, Every Time
Our Audit Methodology
Every VPAT starts with a comprehensive audit. We never cut corners or rely on automated scans as primary sources. Our technical experts use:
- Screen reader testing (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)
- Keyboard navigation testing
- Visual inspection
- Code inspection
- Browser zoom testing
- Color contrast analysis
- Automated scan as a secondary check only
This thoroughness ensures your ACR accurately accounts for your product’s accessibility. When procurement agents see detailed remarks and explanations for each criterion, they know serious evaluation took place.
Technical Support Hours
We include technical support hours to help with remediation and validate fixes pre-ACR issuance. Your development team can:
- Ask questions about specific issues
- Get clarification on remediation recommendations
- Request validation of completed fixes
- Understand which issues impact conformance most
Understanding VPAT Editions
Choosing the Right Edition
There are four VPAT editions, each aligned with different technical standards:
- WCAG Edition: Based on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (our default recommendation)
- 508 Edition: Required for U.S. federal government sales
- EU Edition: For European markets, especially public sector
- INT Edition: Combines all standards for diverse markets
WCAG Version Selection
Within the WCAG edition, you’ll need to select a version:
- WCAG 2.1 AA: Our recommended default – widely referenced and comprehensive
- WCAG 2.0 AA: Fewer criteria but lacks modern technology considerations
- WCAG 2.2 AA: Most comprehensive but can be unnecessary if buyers don’t require it
We help you select the right edition and version based on your buyer requirements and market needs.
Efficiency Through Expertise
Streamlined Process
Our process is designed for efficiency without sacrificing quality:
- Initial consultation to understand your product
- Clear scoping and transparent pricing
- Audit completion typically within 1-2 weeks
- Optional remediation pause
- Final ACR delivery
No Surprises
We’re upfront about everything:
- Costs are based on scope ($275 per unique page/screen plus $350 for VPAT completion)
- Timeline is communicated clearly
- Methodology is explained in detail
- Support options are outlined from the start
What Makes Our ACRs Stand Out
Quality Indicators
Procurement agents recognize quality ACRs by several factors:
- Independent audit from a reputable company
- Diverse evaluation methodologies employed
- Experienced technical accessibility expert involvement
- Thoughtful remarks and explanations entries
- Clear documentation of testing methods
Our ACRs check all these boxes. We don’t sell overlay widgets or automated testing – we provide genuine accessibility expertise that results in documentation buyers trust.
Beyond Compliance
While an ACR isn’t technically certification, it has similar practical effects. When your product is mostly or fully conformant with WCAG 2.1 AA, and you have a credible ACR reflecting that status, you gain significant advantage over competitors who either can’t produce documentation or whose ACRs show poor accessibility.
Insights
VPATs and ACRs have become essential for market competitiveness in 2025. Organizations increasingly require accessibility documentation for procurement eligibility, making an independently issued ACR a crucial differentiator. Our approach combines excellent quality audits with the flexibility to remediate before ACR issuance, resulting in stronger documentation that helps win contracts.
The combination of technical expertise, thorough evaluation methodologies, and independent issuance creates ACRs that procurement agents trust. By pausing for remediation, we help clients present their best accessibility status while maintaining documentation integrity.
The Accessible.org VPAT accessibility page contains all of the technical information on VPAT and ACR documentation and how VPATs are approached in the marketplace.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the entire VPAT process take?
From initial engagement to final ACR delivery, the process typically takes 4-8 weeks. This depends on scope and how quickly your team implements fixes during the remediation phase. If you need the ACR immediately without remediation, we can deliver within 1-2 weeks.
What if our product has accessibility issues?
Having some accessibility issues doesn’t disqualify you from procurement consideration. The ACR allows your product to be evaluated alongside others. What matters is accurate documentation and demonstrating commitment to accessibility through remediation efforts.
Do we need a new ACR for each buyer?
No, once you have an ACR, you can provide it to multiple buyers. However, different buyers might require different VPAT editions or WCAG versions, which would necessitate additional documentation.
Can we fix issues after the ACR is issued?
Yes, but you’d need a new ACR to reflect those improvements. Many clients choose our remediation pause option to avoid needing multiple ACRs in quick succession.
Why not complete the VPAT ourselves?
While anyone can fill in a VPAT, procurement agents strongly prefer independently issued ACRs. They know most organizations lack the accessibility expertise for accurate evaluation, and self-assessment carries inherent bias. An ACR from Accessible.org carries significantly more weight in procurement decisions.
