The Section 508 compliance certification helps organizations demonstrate their adherence to the IT accessibility standards. Section 508 is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The revised IT accessibility standards were added to ensure that disabled employees at federal agencies must get access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT )products. 

With the help of a VPAT section 508 compliance statement, federal agencies select eligible vendors to procure barrier-free ICT products. If your business involves the development, management, procurement or reselling of ICT products then you must adhere to the Revised Standards of Section 508. Whether or not your organization receives funding from federal agencies, publishing a VPAT is essential. In today’s post, we will discuss in-depth details about Section 508 VPAT and find out areas where it is required the most.

What Is The VPAT?

VPAT or the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template is a self-evaluation measure used by organizations to demonstrate their compliance with various digital accessibility standards.

Although VPAT was originally created to help federal agencies find a compliance vendor for the procurement of accessible ICT products. However, barrier-free IT accessibility is a law therefore it is important for every organization to adhere to standards, guidelines and frameworks provided by the US Government.

Even if you don’t aim to win the trust of the sales team of the federal government, 508 compliance VPAT testing is going to be useful for you. There are four different editions of VPAT focusing on various digital accessibility standards. A thorough audit of your products for generating a VPAT statement is useful for adherence to these digital accessibility guidelines.

VPAT 508: As discussed above, this version is used to test the ICT products and generate a VPAT report based on the Revised Standards of Section 508.

VPAT EU: It is used by organizations that take their business across the geographies and need compliance with the accessibility standards of the European Union.

VPAT WCAG: The WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) reduces the risk of digital accessibility lawsuits as it is based on the ADA (Americans with Disability) Act.

VPAT INT: This version incorporates all the frameworks and guidelines mentioned above.

VPAT 508 more or less focuses only on federal level procurements, whereas VPAT WCAG is helpful for businesses with commercial websites as it provides a shield against ADA lawsuits. One can select a suitable edition of VPAT based on the nature of their business. 

How To Use Section 508 VPAT?

Vendors declare conformance to the Revised Standards of IT Accessibility of Section 508 with a VPAT report. Below are the top five ways VPAT is used by manufacturers of ICT products.    

1.      Telecommunications Equipment: 508 VPAT is used by organizations that manufacture telephones, mobile phones and computers. VPAT standards help in declaring the degree of conformance that a disabled user can also use their products.

2.      Information Kiosks: In this category, brands use VPAT to confirm barrier-free access to transaction machines and Voice Over Internet Protocol products. A combination of automated tests and manual audits can be used by manufacturers to ensure that alternative modes of interaction are available for disabled users.

3.      Multifunction Office Machines: The IT accessibility standards also confirm that disabled employees working for the federal government must be able to access every piece of equipment in the office. Hence, the standards also include accessibility guidelines for copiers that also operate as printers.

4.      Software: This category includes accessibility guidelines for websites, mobile applications and operating systems. In order to win federal funding for a mobile application, the developers must conduct a series of tests and scans to confirm that there are accessibility provisions for disabled users.

5.      Electronic Documents: Brands that develop electronic documents like PDFs for webinars and training can use Section 508 VPAT to make the product more accessible. Adhering to the VPAT standards helps in being a preferred vendor for federal level procurements.  

Closing thoughts

Section 508 VPAT is not only meant to win federal level business deals. If you look at a section 508 VPAT example you understand that the VPAT report is helpful for organizations to widen their reach to the target audience. When ICT products are developed using digital accessibility laws in mind, brands become more accountable to listen to the unmet needs of disabled users. When you are able to reach a large section of disabled users in your key demographic, you can easily reach the organizational objectives of increased sales and profitability. Moreover, digitally compliant products can help you perform better on Google results.

Connect with the experts at ADACP to learn more about the process of generating the VPAT compliance certification. We have seasoned accessibility specialists on board who can help you with Section 508 audit, remediation and VPAT reporting.