Voluntary Product Accessibility Template

A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a table describing how a proposed computer hardware product, software, or online service enables usability by people with limited capacities to see, hear, or exercise muscular control (aka disabilities). The accessibility issues that VPATs address come from a U.S. law known as Section 508.

The rows of a VPAT table address different issues. The rows are grouped into sections addressing, for example, whether a mouse or keyboard are required to control the software; when images or colors are needed to understand the software; when text alternatives to images are available; and so forth. A VPAT table has three columns. The first column identifies subsections of Section 508, the second characterizes features of the product or site relevant to that subsection, and the third column has remarks and explanations.[1]

Legal status and history

The template is a registered trademark of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC).[2][3] This may affect its proper use in text, and who has permission to use the template. The term is commonly used in procurement discussions of compliance or conformance with Section 508.

VPATs were developed by the ITIC in partnership with the U.S. government's central procurement office, the General Services Administration, starting in 2001 to address the general issue of matching products to accessibility requirements with a checklist.[4] Characteristically a U.S. government office will requires a VPAT to state the accessibility attributes of a product, but will not have enough time or information to examine the truthfulness of every line, and will not require perfect accessibility by all possible users.[4] For example, a tool to be used only by few specialized software developers might be acquired even if its accessibility to the disabled is poor, whereas a widely used public web site will have to meet higher standards. The agency may make choices about what to require.

Example VPATs

VPATs cover computer software, hardware, and services. VPATs vary in clarity, completeness, and usefulness for particular purposes.

References

  1. ↑ VPAT for Web explanation at bna.com
  2. ↑ VOLUNTARY PRODUCT ACCESSIBILITY TEMPLATE - Trademark Details at justia.com
  3. ↑ Information Technology Industry Council Trademarks at justia.com
  4. 1 2 SSA Guide to Completing the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template by U.S. Social Security Administration
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