Aligning with Section 508 VPAT
Are you in the business of selling e-learning platforms, mobile apps, websites, software, hardware, or remote access tools? Make compliance with Section 508 VPAT your ally. This will assist you in ensuring that your information and communication technology (ICT) products and services are ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant.
Discrimination against people with disabilities is prohibited under the ADA. Despite its broad scope and legal ambiguity, the ADA has resulted in a massive increase in the number of lawsuits filed against non-compliant businesses.
For example, ADA-related lawsuits have increased by 30% in the last five years. Nike and Domino's have made headlines for VPAT accessibility non-compliance, with 17 out of 20 small and medium-sized businesses facing costly settlements for non-compliance.
A VPAT can assist businesses in determining how well their products conform to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act's accessibility standards.
What is a VPAT?
A VPAT document is typically created by a product developer or vendor to assist buyers of an information and communication technology (ICT) product or service in making informed decisions about whether or not to purchase a product or service.
VPATs are increasingly being used to determine the accessibility of a product or service, as well as the location of its potential beneficiaries. Increasingly, before making a purchase, many buyers are requiring it.
Any business or service that falls under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act must have a VPAT. These are entitlements that allow you to do business with, or provide services to, the federal government or its agencies, as well as receive funding from them.
How a VPAT is used
Buyers of ICT products and services use a VPAT to make informed decisions before purchasing ICT products or services. It enables them to comprehend a product's or service's level of compliance, compare the compliance of comparable products or services, select a product or service that best meets the required accessibility requirements, and plan for equally effective accessible products or services if the desired ones are not available.
A VPAT assists the vendor or product developer in generating a VPAT Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR Report), which provides relevant information on how the vendor's product or service conforms to the Revised Section 508 VPAT Standards for ICT accessibility.
A VPAT is used by buyers and other contracting officials to determine how accessible a given enterprise's products or services are. It assists them in determining whether or not the products or services are defective.
A VPAT audit typically provides a detailed, criterion-by-criterion framework that enables buyers and contracting officials to easily make preliminary assessments about a given business's ICT offerings. A VPAT report is frequently used as a major component of the Request for Proposals process (RFP), in which businesses express an interest in procuring products or services and request potential bids from suppliers.
As long as a business's products or services are used by someone who is directly or indirectly funded by the federal government, that business is considered federally funded by extension. This means that it must follow Section 508 VPAT compliance guidelines. This demonstrates why many businesses are missing out on opportunities because they are not Section 508 VPAT compliant, particularly when they fail to prepare a VPAT that adequately outlines their compliance.
Buyers of ICT products or services may ask to see a company's VPAT or insist on it. When this occurs, the company is obligated to provide this service to the buyer. This is because both the buyer and seller of the product or service share responsibility for ensuring that the products or services of a business are accessible to people with disabilities.
Buyers should exercise caution when requesting VPATs for their products or services from businesses. This will allow them to determine how well such products or services comply with ADA accessibility standards. They should not take the VPAT they were given at face value. Rather, they should assess it and ensure that the decisions they make are safe.
Businesses, too, must be truthful and accurate in the information they provide about the accessibility of their products or services. They should admit when their products or services have flaws. Steep fines are possible for misrepresenting the level of accessibility of your digital asset or incorrectly filling out your VPAT.
Need help with your VPAT audit?
If you contact ADA Compliance Pros, you can get assistance with your VPAT audit or access resources to assist you with your VPAT ACR. They will provide you with a free website compliance checker to assist you in effectively planning for your comprehensive VPAT audit. ADA Compliance Pros can be reached at (626) 486-2201 or by clicking here.