Visit the RAILS Digital Accessibility Pulse Page for more information about digital accessibility and requirements for government entities such as schools and libraries.
Evaluating resources with a VPAT
The standards for web accessibility evaluation in Illinois are subject to the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (for programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance), and the Information Technology Accessibility Act (for state entities).
To help libraries evaluate how a product meets accessibility standards when purchasing electronic resources, many vendors offer a VPAT – Voluntary Product Accessibility Template. The VPAT is an assessment of how a product does or does not meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA standards as outlined in the United States Department of Justice rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
A VPAT is a form provided by the ITI – Information Technology Industry Council that vendors use to create an ACR – Accessibility Conformance Report. Although the ACR is the completed VPAT, vendors and manufacturers commonly refer to both as a VPAT.
Each completed VPAT will contain the product description, the evaluation methods used, and testing criteria for products and services. When vetting resources for accessibility, first ask vendors for the VPAT, and evaluate it closely. The body of the VPAT contains a set of tables with the criteria evaluated along with the conformance level and remarks or notes. When reading through a VPAT, pay attention to any accessibility criteria marked as “Supports," "Partially Supports," "Does Not Support," or is "Not Applicable” or “Not Evaluated.” It is important to note the latest date of the completed VPAT and whether the vendor did an internal evaluation or hired a company to audit their resources.
While a VPAT can aid in assessing how the product meets accessibility standards, it does not mean that the product complies with accessibility standards. Rather, a VPAT is a snapshot of a product’s accessibility at that time the VPAT was completed and does not guarantee future compliance. Libraries should consult with their legal counsel to review vendor contracts that may implicate accessibility requirements.
The VPATs on this page are posted with vendors’ permission. Accessibility statements, if available, from the vendor are also included. The information on this page is maintained by volunteers and kept up to date. If you have a more recent VPAT or accessibility statement from a vendor, please submit it to deals@railslibraries.org.