SaaS companies need a VPAT when selling to buyers who require accessibility documentation. When a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is filled in and completed for your SaaS application, platform, or service, it becomes an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) that demonstrates WCAG conformance to procurement agents evaluating your offering against competitors.
| Key Point | What It Means for You |
|---|---|
| Market Requirement | Federal agencies, universities, and enterprises increasingly require ACRs before considering SaaS purchases |
| Recommended Edition | WCAG edition with WCAG 2.1 AA conformance covers most SaaS procurement requirements |
| Audit Scope | Core user flows, primary screens, and different role experiences should be evaluated |
| Timeline | Most SaaS companies receive completed ACRs within 1-2 weeks of audit completion |
| Update Triggers | Major feature releases, UI redesigns, or significant version updates require new documentation |
Table of Contents
Why Are Procurement Agents Asking SaaS Companies for VPATs?
Procurement agents request VPATs because they need standardized accessibility documentation to evaluate products and services before making purchasing decisions. Under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, federal agencies must procure accessible information and communication technology. This requirement has spread beyond federal procurement into state agencies, educational institutions, and large enterprises.
SaaS offerings fall squarely within the scope of ICT that buyers now scrutinize for accessibility. The specific type of SaaS determines how procurement agents evaluate it:
- SaaS products are standalone applications users interact with directly, like project management tools or design software
- SaaS platforms provide infrastructure where users build, customize, or extend functionality, like e-commerce platforms or development environments
- SaaS services deliver specific capabilities users consume, like analytics dashboards or payment processing
When a university evaluates learning management systems or a government agency considers collaboration platforms, they need reliable documentation showing how each offering conforms to WCAG standards.
The ADA and emerging regulations like the European Accessibility Act are accelerating this trend. Organizations purchasing SaaS face their own legal obligations to provide accessible technology to employees and end users. An ACR gives them confidence that your product, platform, or service meets their compliance requirements.
Which VPAT Edition Works Best for SaaS Applications?
The WCAG edition serves as the default choice for most SaaS companies. Accessible.org clients usually select WCAG 2.1 AA because it provides comprehensive coverage of accessibility requirements while remaining the standard most buyers reference.
The four VPAT editions serve different purposes:
- WCAG Edition covers Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and works for virtually all web-based SaaS applications
- 508 Edition is specifically required when selling to U.S. federal agencies and includes WCAG 2.0 AA criteria
- EU Edition aligns with EN 301 549 standards for European markets, particularly public sector procurement
- INT Edition combines all standards into one comprehensive document for products and services marketed globally
Your buyer’s requirements should drive edition selection. If you receive requests from federal agencies, the 508 edition may be necessary. If your SaaS platform serves international markets, the INT edition prevents needing separate documentation for different regions.
Scoping SaaS Accessibility Audits
Scoping a SaaS audit involves identifying representative screens and user flows rather than evaluating every possible page. However, the approach varies based on what type of SaaS offering you provide.
For SaaS products, scoping focuses on core functionality screens and primary user journeys. A project management product might scope around task creation, team collaboration features, reporting dashboards, and settings screens. Products typically have defined boundaries that make scoping straightforward.
For SaaS platforms, scoping becomes more complex because platforms support customization and user-generated content. An e-commerce platform like Shopify requires evaluating both the merchant-facing administrative interface and the customer-facing storefront templates. Platform ACRs often need to clarify which components the platform controls versus what merchants or developers customize.
For SaaS services, scoping centers on the service interface and any configuration options. A payment processing service might scope around checkout flows, transaction management screens, and reporting interfaces. Services often have narrower scope than full products or platforms.
Accessible.org uses a pricing model of approximately $100 – 250 per primary unique page or screen and $25 – $100 for more simple pages or screens. A typical SaaS audit covering 15-25 unique screens takes 1-2 weeks to complete.
What Happens During the SaaS Audit Process?
The audit involves systematic evaluation of your SaaS product, platform, or service against WCAG success criteria using multiple testing methodologies. A technical accessibility expert conducts screen reader testing, keyboard navigation testing, visual inspection, code inspection, browser zoom testing, and color contrast analysis.
Each identified issue gets documented with specific details:
- Issue description explaining what fails
- URL or screen location
- Specific element location
- Testing environment used
- Applicable WCAG success criterion
- Remediation recommendations
- Screenshots or video clips for context
After the audit, you receive an audit report containing all identified issues. This report becomes the foundation for both remediation efforts and the eventual ACR.
For platforms that support multiple user roles, the audit may evaluate different personas. A learning management platform might require separate evaluation of the student experience and instructor experience, as these often present entirely different interfaces and functionality.
Can You Fix Issues Before Your ACR Is Issued?
Yes, and this pause-and-fix approach represents one of the most valuable aspects of working with experienced VPAT service providers. Rather than immediately issuing an ACR that documents all accessibility issues found, you get time to remediate before your final documentation reflects the accessibility status.
The process works like this:
- Audit your SaaS application
- Receive the detailed audit report
- Your development team addresses identified issues
- Technical experts validate the fixes
- Repeat validation until you reach desired conformance level
- ACR is issued reflecting the remediated state
This matters because procurement agents evaluate ACRs competitively. A clean ACR showing full WCAG 2.1 AA conformance positions your SaaS product more favorably than one documenting numerous issues.
Accessibility Tracker provides a streamlined way to manage this remediation workflow. Developers can track issue status, mark items as fixed, and notify validators directly within the platform.
What Makes a SaaS ACR Credible to Buyers?
Knowledgeable procurement agents scrutinize ACRs for reliability indicators. They want confidence that the documentation accurately reflects your product’s accessibility rather than overstating conformance to look competitive.
Qualities that signal credibility include:
- Independent audit from a reputable accessibility company
- Diverse evaluation methodologies documented in the report
- Detailed remarks and explanations column entries
- Technical expert conducting the evaluation
- No affiliation with overlay widget vendors
Self-issued ACRs raise skepticism because product teams have inherent bias and often lack accessibility expertise. When a SaaS vendor assesses their own product, platform, or service, there is tendency to embellish accessibility status.
Accessible.org issues independently verified ACRs that carry weight with procurement agents precisely because there is no conflict of interest in the evaluation.
When Should SaaS Companies Update Their ACR?
ACRs represent a snapshot of accessibility at a specific point in time. Several situations trigger the need for updated documentation:
- Major version releases introducing new features
- User interface redesigns changing interaction patterns
- Fixes implemented after initial ACR issuance
- Standards updates affecting conformance requirements
- Freshness considerations after 1-2 years
- Buyer requests for current documentation
SaaS products evolve continuously through feature additions and interface improvements. Platforms may introduce new capabilities that affect both administrative and end-user experiences. Services might expand functionality or redesign configuration interfaces. Each significant change potentially affects accessibility.
Tracking when updates warrant new documentation prevents presenting outdated information to procurement agents.
FAQ
Does every SaaS company need a VPAT?
Not every SaaS company absolutely requires a VPAT. However, if your buyers include federal agencies, educational institutions, or enterprises with accessibility policies, an ACR becomes essential for purchase consideration. The network effect has made ACRs increasingly expected across most B2B SaaS markets regardless of whether you offer a product, platform, or service.
How long does the VPAT process take for SaaS applications?
Most SaaS companies receive completed ACRs within 2-4 weeks from initial engagement. This includes scoping, audit execution, optional remediation time, and final ACR issuance. Rush options can compress timelines when procurement deadlines require faster turnaround.
What if our SaaS product has accessibility issues?
Having accessibility issues documented in your ACR does not automatically disqualify your product from consideration. Buyers understand that different products and services have varying conformance levels. The key is accurate documentation with detailed remarks explaining limitations and any planned remediation efforts.
Do platforms need to document third-party integrations?
Platform ACRs should clarify the boundary between what the platform controls and what third parties provide. If your platform integrates with external services or supports third-party extensions, the ACR remarks should explain which components fall under your accessibility evaluation and which fall outside your control.
How much does a VPAT cost for a SaaS company?
Accessible.org charges $350 to complete and issue the WCAG edition VPAT plus audit costs. Audits typically cost $1,250-$2,750 depending on scope complexity and number of unique screens evaluated across your product, platform, or service.
Can you fill out a VPAT yourself?
Yes, anyone can technically fill out a VPAT. The template is freely available from ITIC.org. However, accurately completing the accessibility table requires conducting a thorough audit using diverse evaluation methodologies. Without accessibility expertise, self-completed VPATs often contain inaccuracies that knowledgeable procurement agents will question.
If you have an audit report and want to generate your own documentation, the Accessibility Tracker platform includes an AI VPAT generator that can fill in a VPAT based on your current audit fix status.
Do AI generated VPATs exist?
Yes, in December of 2025, we released our AI VPAT feature inside of Accessibility Tracker. As stated above, this is for organizations who want to self issue their own VPAT. With this feature, AI will fill in your VPAT (for the WCAG edition).
Note a manual review for accuracy and completeness is necessary, but AI generated VPATs can save your team a lot of time filling out the template.
