VPAT and ACR Documentation

This question asks for your Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) - standardized documents that detail exactly how your product meets or fails accessibility standards. It's like a nutrition label for accessibility. These reports must be current (within 12 months) because products change and standards evolve.

VPATs are mandatory for most enterprise and all government sales. Without a current VPAT, you're immediately disqualified from RFPs. A well-done VPAT accelerates sales cycles by answering accessibility questions upfront. It demonstrates transparency and maturity. Outdated or poorly completed VPATs destroy credibility and suggest you're hiding problems. Investment in a quality VPAT (typically $5-15K) can unlock millions in enterprise deals.

The biggest mistake is creating VPATs internally without accessibility expertise - buyers can spot amateur reports immediately. Another pitfall is using generic templates without product-specific testing. Many companies also let VPATs become outdated, not realizing that a 13-month-old VPAT is often worthless to buyers. Avoid sugar-coating issues - honest reporting of gaps with remediation plans builds more trust than false claims.