Tech and the changing world
For years, technology has been dramatically changing the world around us. According to market research, technology is useful not only to technology companies, but to every organization looking to increase productivity.
Technology and its related digital revolution have resulted in 52% of organizations globally reporting enhanced worker productivity, 49% reporting improved performance, and 46% reporting a better customer experience.
Tech as a catalyst for efficiency
Tech companies are at the forefront of accessibility because, in addition to delivering technological products that foster higher worker productivity, better corporate performance, and a better customer experience, they assist people in achieving independence.
Our lives are intricately linked to technology today. The technological mechanisms on which we rely in every part of our life make our lives more efficient and comfortable.Tech items assist us whether we are working remotely, learning online, shopping online, communicating on social media,
Online services play a significant role in enabling us to connect with people beyond geographical boundaries. However, the pervasiveness of the Internet and our reliance on it for information, communication, learning, and work can be discouraging to the more than 61 million, 87 million, and one billion people with disabilities in the United States, Europe, and throughout the world.
We will be leaving behind a critical mass of people who can contribute significantly to the growth of, or through, technology unless deliberate efforts are made to ensure that tech products and systems consider such needs of people with disabilities as efficient access to information, communication, learning, and working, among others.
One of the grounds for amending Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act to oblige federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities was this. As a result, when the federal government and its agencies design, purchase, manage, or utilize EIT, it must comply with the Revised Section 508 Standards.
The VPAT and accessibility of tech products
To demonstrate accessibility to help federal contracting officials as well as government buyers of tech products, tech companies report on the conformity of their EIT products to the established accessibility standards through the voluntary product accessibility template (VPAT).
Governments, non-governmental organizations, and business institutions are increasingly utilizing completed VPATsto assess the accessibility of products and services they wish to purchase. These purchasers do not have time for a tech product that does not have VPAT accessibility, even if it offers superior accessible features compared to those that have demonstrated VPAT compliance through a properly filled-out VPAT.
If you are a tech company that wants to do business with the federal government, federally funded organizations, and a large number of non-governmental organizations and private institutions that support VPAT accessibility, you must create a VPAT accessibility conformance report (ACR) for each of your tech products. Otherwise you risk losing out on doing business with them.
What is VPAT accessibility?
VPAT accessibility simply refers to the full ecosystem of practices associated with the use of the appropriate VPAT edition in order to make information, activities, and/or surroundings sensible, relevant, and accessible for as many people as feasible, including individuals with disabilities.
This includes selecting the right VPAT version to use in documenting the product's accessibility, conducting a VPAT assessment, writing a concise and complete VPAT ACR, and making the ACR available to the public or anyone requests it.
Why tech companies ought to create VPAT ACRs for their products
Here are the reasons why every tech company needs to have a duly filled out VPAT:
- Providing documentation and explanations about product accessibility
Every tech company should have a VPAT ACR for each of their tech products because it allows them to produce documentation and explanations regarding the level of compliance of the products with the established accessibility requirements.
- Enabling buyers make informed decisions
A well-completed VPAT also assists customers of the tech company's products in making informed judgments before acquiring the products, which increases the company's sales and revenue.
- Facilitating product improvement
A VPAT will help the tech company recognize and realize the accessibility gaps and challenges of its products and make appropriate improvements. This helps the company to not only enhance the quality of their products but also fulfill its customers’ needs without bias.
- Boosting the company’s accessibility status
When a tech company fills out VPATs for its products, it indicates the company's accessibility standards and compliance status, which creates a favorable image in the eyes of its product purchasers.
- Expanding the market size for products
You have no alternative but to develop VPATs for the products you want to provide in markets that have set accessibility criteria and demand duly filled out VPATs if you want your tech products to access those markets. For example, if you want federal agencies to buy your tech products, you won't be able to convince them to do so unless each of the offered products has a properly completed VPAT.
Need help with filling out a VPAT for your tech company?
Call (626) 486-220 to speak with aVPATcompliance professional for more information and assistance in filling outa VPAT for each of your tech products.