What Are the Differences Between a Vpat and Wcag?

What Is A VPAT?

The VPAT, or Voluntary Product Accessibility Template, is a self-disclosing prototype document used for accessibility evaluation in accordance with Section 508 Standards.

The template outlines the accessibility conformance levels that an electronic information technology (EIT) product has achieved and establishes the technical requirements for the accessibility standards, namely, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 and WCAG 2.1; Section 508; the European Union (EU) EN 301 549, and the international (INT) standards.

Depending on the accessible features an EIT product or service provides and the accessibility VPAT used to test the targeted product or service for VPAT compliance, a completed VPAT typically spans from 50 to thousands of pages.

Based on the established accessibility standards, there are four editions of the VPAT template to cater for each. These are the VPAT WCAG (2.0 or 2.1) edition, the VPAT Section 508 edition, the VPAT EU (EN 301 549) edition, and the VPAT International (INT) edition.

VPAT WCAG

The VPAT WCAG version has the criteria and technical specifications necessary for web content accessibility. The WCAG 2.0 edition highlights the principles of perceivability, operability, understandability, and robustness (POUR), on which the basic structure of EIT accessibility for websites and mobile applications is founded.

VPAT WCAG 2.1 is an updated and extended version of VPAT WCAG 2.0. It addresses the responsive variations of web pages, mobile device use, and related barriers faced by users with low vision, motor impairment, and cognitive disabilities.

Section 508 VPAT

The technical standards and accessibility requirements based on the Revised Section 508 Standards are contained in the Section 508 VPAT. The U.S. federal entities use the accessibility criteria and EIT product and service technical requirements included in this version of the VPAT to assess products and services for compliance with Section 508.

All the accessibility criteria and technical specifications provided in the VPAT WCAG version also form part of what is contained in the Section 508 VPAT.

VPAT EU (EN 301 549)

The VPAT EU edition requires the documentation of the accessibility of an EIT product or service in accordance with EN 301549, which is the European standard of accessibility requirement for EIT products and services procurable in the EU.

Like the VPAT WCAG edition, the VPAT EU edition provides three levels of conformance besides what the EN 301 549 standards require. The conformance levels are: A, AA, and AAA. These refer to the lowest level of conformance, the mandatory level of conformance, and the highest level of conformance, respectively.

VPAT INT

All the technical requirements and accessibility standards present in the other three VPAT versions are included in the VPAT INT edition. The accessibility conformance reports (ACRs) for EIT products and services that are sellable on the global market are produced using the VPAT INT template.

VPAT Vs. WCAG: What Are The Differences?

The VPAT vs. WCAG discussions help vendors and buyers of EIT products and services understand the importance of these tools in the accessibility ecosystem. Some of the differences between the tools include the following:

·        The Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC) developed the VPAT in collaboration with the federal government's General Services Administration (GSA), while WCAG was developed through the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) processes in cooperation with individuals and organizations around the world.

·        The goal of developing the VPAT was to help vendors of EIT products and services document the compliance of their products and services with Section 508 and facilitate market research by federal officials on products and services with accessible features. The goal of developing WCAG was to provide a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally.

·        While WCAG specifies a set of standards that web content and mobile apps should adhere to in order to be accessible to all users, the VPAT is a template that sellers of EIT products and services fill out in order to generate VPAT ACRs for their products and services.

·        The VPAT contains accessibility criteria and technical specifications based on WCAG, but not the other way round.

Need VPAT Vs. WCAG Assistance?

If you need to see what a completed VPAT looks like, check here. Additionally, if you have any questions or need assistance with WCAG and the VPAT, call (626) 486-2201 to talk to a VPAT and WCAG accessibility expert.