Let’s be honest: “accessible” has become a checkbox term. Vendors love to say it. Procurement teams love to hear it. But if you’ve ever tried to use one of those “fully accessible” products with a screen reader or a keyboard, you know it doesn’t always hold up. So what gives? Most of the time, it’s not malice. It’s a misunderstanding. Accessibility is complex, standards are evolving, and too often, vendors are left saying what they hope is true instead of what they’ve actually tested. This post kicks off a series on how to evaluate accessibility claims with clarity, confidence, and a little healthy skepticism. Because if you’re responsible for what users experience, you deserve better than vague promises and buzzwords.
The VPAT vs ACR Breakdown
Let’s start with the basics:
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VPAT stands for Voluntary Product Accessibility Template. It’s a standardized document vendors can fill out to explain how their product aligns with accessibility standards (like WCAG, Section 508, or EN 301 549). It’s a starting point.
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ACR stands for Accessibility Conformance Report. That’s the result of a completed VPAT—with test results, real context, and actual effort behind the claims.
Bottom line? A VPAT shows what a vendor says. An ACR shows what they did. And in high-stakes or public-facing projects, the ACR is where your trust should land.
Red Flags and Green Flags
When a vendor hands you a VPAT, don’t just glance at the title and file it away. Look for clues:
Red flags to watch for:
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“Supports” is listed for every item… with no explanation.
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No mention of actual testing or assistive tech.
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“It’s on the roadmap”—with no plan, no owner and no timeline.
Green flags to celebrate:
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Manual testing details and testing tools are listed.
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Users with disabilities are involved.
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Specific examples, test cases, or demos are available on request.
You don’t have to interrogate anyone. You just have to ask better questions.
A Bridge, Not a Barrier
At their best, VPATs are a bridge between developers and users. They help buyers make informed choices. They push vendors toward better practices. But they only work if we treat them like living documents, not glossy cover sheets. And that’s where you come in. In the next post, we’ll dig into exactly how to read a VPAT without falling into a buzzword coma, and how to tell whether the product behind the document is actually worth your trust. Because accessibility can’t be assumed. It must be verified.
