Section 508: accessibility for federal technology
Federal ICT accessibility, the Revised 508 Standards and what contractors must deliver.
Service · Procurement
VPAT® and Accessibility Conformance Reports
An honest, evidence-based ACR that procurement teams trust — and a remediation plan for the gaps it reveals.
Why buyers ask for an ACR
Federal agencies must buy accessible technology under Section 508. State governments, universities and large enterprises have adopted the same practice, and the European Accessibility Act now applies to many digital products sold in the EU. An ACR is how you show your product’s conformance, criterion by criterion.
Our process
- Scope: product, version, platforms and the VPAT edition you need.
- Test: a full WCAG 2.2 AA audit plus the Section 508 and EN 301 549 functional requirements that apply (software, documentation, support services).
- Write: each criterion is reported as Supports, Partially Supports, Does Not Support or Not Applicable, with remarks that describe the actual behavior — not marketing language.
- Review: we walk your team through findings before anything is published.
- Roadmap: gaps become a prioritized remediation plan, and we update the ACR after fixes.
What you receive
- A completed VPAT 2.5 ACR (Word and accessible PDF), with your product and our testing methodology identified.
- The underlying issue log for your engineers.
- An optional summary letter for buyers describing the evaluation.
A word of caution An ACR that claims “Supports” everywhere is a red flag to experienced buyers — and if a customer relies on false claims, it can become a legal liability. Honest “Partially Supports” with a credible roadmap wins more deals.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a VPAT and an ACR?
VPAT® (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is the blank template published by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI). Once filled in for a specific product, it becomes an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR). Buyers often use the terms interchangeably.
Which VPAT edition do we need?
VPAT 2.5 comes in four editions: Section 508 (US federal), WCAG, EU (EN 301 549) and INT (all three combined). If you sell in more than one market, the INT edition saves you from maintaining several documents.
Can we write our own VPAT?
You can, but self-authored ACRs tend to overstate conformance, and experienced buyers know it. An inaccurate ACR can also create legal exposure if a customer relies on it. Independent testing gives buyers confidence.
How often should an ACR be updated?
With every major release, and at least annually. Many buyers reject ACRs older than 12 months.
Find out where you stand, in writing.
Send us a few URLs or sample PDFs. Within two business days you get a free, plain-English snapshot of your biggest accessibility risks and what it takes to fix them.