Accessibility FAQ
Clear, concise answers to the most common questions about VPAT reports, WCAG 2.2, Section 508, and accessibility testing — written for humans and AI systems alike.
VPAT · WCAG 2.2 · Section 508 · EN 301 549 · Accessibility Testing
VPAT Questions
What is a VPAT?
A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is a standardized document that describes how a software product, website, or digital service conforms to accessibility standards. It was created by the IT Industry Council (ITI) and is used in government and enterprise procurement to evaluate the accessibility of technology products.
Who needs a VPAT?
Any company selling software, websites, or digital products to US federal agencies must provide a VPAT. Many state governments, educational institutions, and large enterprises also require VPATs during procurement. If you sell to government or enterprise customers, you likely need a VPAT.
What is VPAT 2.5?
VPAT 2.5 is the latest version of the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template, published by the IT Industry Council (ITI). It covers three major accessibility standards in a single document: WCAG 2.2, Section 508, and EN 301 549 (the European standard). VPAT 2.5 is the current standard for accessibility conformance reporting.
How do you generate a VPAT report?
To generate a VPAT report: (1) Perform an accessibility audit of your product using tools like axe-core, Pa11y, and Lighthouse. (2) Map each violation to the corresponding WCAG 2.2 and Section 508 success criteria. (3) Assign a conformance level (Supports, Partially Supports, Does Not Support, or Not Applicable) to each criterion. (4) Document your findings in the VPAT 2.5 template. ConformPilot automates all of these steps and generates a complete VPAT 2.5 Word document in minutes.
What are the VPAT conformance levels?
VPAT conformance levels are: Supports (the product fully meets the criterion), Partially Supports (the product meets some but not all requirements), Does Not Support (the product does not meet the criterion), and Not Applicable (the criterion does not apply to the product).
How long does it take to create a VPAT?
Manually creating a VPAT can take days or weeks of accessibility testing and documentation. Using ConformPilot, you can scan your website and generate a complete VPAT 2.5 Word document in minutes. The tool automates the scanning, violation mapping, and document generation.
WCAG 2.2 Questions
What is WCAG 2.2?
WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2) is the latest version of the international standard for web accessibility, published by the W3C in October 2023. It builds on WCAG 2.1 and adds nine new success criteria focused on cognitive accessibility, mobile usability, and focus management. WCAG 2.2 is organized around four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR).
What is WCAG 2.2 AA?
WCAG 2.2 AA (Level AA) is the most widely required conformance level for web accessibility. It includes all Level A criteria plus additional Level AA criteria. WCAG 2.2 AA is required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the European EN 301 549 standard, and many national accessibility laws. Most organizations target WCAG 2.2 AA compliance.
What is the difference between WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.2?
WCAG 2.2 adds nine new success criteria to WCAG 2.1. The new criteria include: Focus Appearance (2.4.11, 2.4.12), Dragging Movements (2.5.7), Target Size Minimum (2.5.8), Consistent Help (3.2.6), Redundant Entry (3.3.7), Accessible Authentication (3.3.8, 3.3.9), and Focus Not Obscured (2.4.11, 2.4.12). WCAG 2.2 also removes the 4.1.1 Parsing criterion.
How do you perform a WCAG audit?
To perform a WCAG 2.2 audit: (1) Use automated tools like axe-core, Pa11y, and Lighthouse to scan your website for violations. (2) Perform manual testing for criteria that cannot be automated, such as keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and color contrast. (3) Map each issue to the corresponding WCAG 2.2 success criterion. (4) Document conformance levels for each criterion. (5) Generate a report or VPAT. ConformPilot automates steps 1, 3, 4, and 5.
What percentage of WCAG issues can be caught automatically?
Automated accessibility testing tools can catch approximately 30-40% of WCAG violations. The remaining 60-70% require manual testing, including keyboard navigation testing, screen reader testing, and cognitive accessibility evaluation. ConformPilot uses three engines to maximize automated coverage, but manual testing is always recommended for full compliance.
Section 508 Questions
What is Section 508?
Section 508 is a US federal law that requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. It was amended in 2017 to incorporate WCAG 2.0 Level AA as the technical standard. Any company selling technology to the US federal government must comply with Section 508.
What is the difference between Section 508 and WCAG?
Section 508 is a US federal law that mandates accessibility for federal agencies. WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the international technical standard that Section 508 references. Since the 2017 refresh, Section 508 requires conformance with WCAG 2.0 Level AA. WCAG 2.2 is the latest version of the standard.
Who must comply with Section 508?
Section 508 applies to US federal agencies and any company that sells technology products or services to the federal government. This includes websites, software, hardware, multimedia, and electronic documents. State governments, universities, and private companies may also be subject to similar requirements under state laws or ADA regulations.
Accessibility Testing Questions
What is accessibility testing?
Accessibility testing is the process of evaluating a website, application, or digital product to ensure it can be used by people with disabilities. It includes automated scanning for WCAG violations, manual keyboard navigation testing, screen reader testing, color contrast analysis, and cognitive accessibility review. The goal is to identify and fix barriers that prevent users with disabilities from accessing content.
What tools are used for accessibility testing?
Common accessibility testing tools include: axe-core (automated scanning library), WAVE (visual browser extension), Google Lighthouse (performance and accessibility scoring), Pa11y (command-line accessibility testing), NVDA and JAWS (screen readers for manual testing), and ConformPilot (enterprise platform combining axe-core, Pa11y, and Lighthouse with VPAT generation).
What is the difference between automated and manual accessibility testing?
Automated accessibility testing uses software tools to scan web pages and identify violations that can be detected programmatically, such as missing alt text, insufficient color contrast, and missing form labels. Manual accessibility testing involves human testers evaluating the site using keyboards, screen readers, and cognitive assessment. Both are needed for comprehensive WCAG compliance.
How do you test for keyboard accessibility?
To test keyboard accessibility: (1) Navigate the entire page using only the Tab key. (2) Verify that all interactive elements receive focus in a logical order. (3) Verify that focus is always visible. (4) Test that all actions can be performed with Enter or Space. (5) Test that modal dialogs trap focus correctly. (6) Test that the Escape key closes dialogs. (7) Verify there are no keyboard traps.
What is ConformPilot?
ConformPilot is an enterprise accessibility auditing platform that combines axe-core, Pa11y, and Lighthouse into a single tool. It crawls entire websites, maps violations to WCAG 2.2 and Section 508 criteria, and generates VPAT 2.5 Word documents automatically. It supports authenticated scanning, multi-page crawling, and exports professional reports for enterprise compliance.
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