VPAT - Voluntary Product Accessibility Template - Version 1.3 - Template

Sep 13, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa

Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) Version 1.3 supports preliminary accessibility assessments for commercial “Electronic and Information Technology” products and services, especially under Section 508 considerations. It guides offerers to supply additional contact information for follow-up inquiries and provides a summary table of relevant Section 508 standards plus detailed subsection tables. Each table captures criteria, supporting accessibility features (or references to detailed entries), and remarks explaining product behavior.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time7 min

AccessFree to download

VPAT - Voluntary Product Accessibility Template

Version 1.3 Purpose

Summary Table - Section 508 Standards

Detailed Tables - Section 1194.21 - Software Applications and Operating Systems

Detailed Tables - Section 1194.22 - Web-based Internet Information and Applications

VPAT ™ Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® Version 1.3 The purpose of the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template, or VPAT™ , is to assist Federal contracting officials and other buyers in making preliminary assessments regarding the availability of commercial “Electronic and Information Technology” products and services with features that support accessibility. It is assumed and recommended that offerers will provide additional contact information to facilitate more detailed inquiries. The first table of the Template provides a summary view of the Section 508 Standards. The subsequent tables provide more detailed views of each subsection. There are three columns in each table. Column one of the Summary Table describes the subsections of subparts B and C of the Standards. The second column describes the supporting features of the product or refers you to the corresponding detailed table, e.g. , “equivalent facilitation." The third column contains any additional remarks and explanations regarding the product. In the subsequent tables, the first column contains the lettered paragraphs of the subsections. The second column describes the supporting features of the product with regard to that paragraph. The third column contains any additional remarks and explanations regarding the product. Date: Name of Product: Contact for more Information (name/phone/email) : | Summary Table
VPAT ™
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Criteria | Supporting Features | Remarks and
explanations | | | Section 1194.21 Software
Applications and Operating Systems | | | | | Section 1194.22 Web-based Internet Information and Applications | | | | --- | --- | --- | | Section 1194.23
Telecommunications Products | | | | Section 1194.24 Video and Multimedia Products | | | | Section 1194.25 Self-Contained, Closed Products | | | | Section 1194.26 Desktop and Portable Computers | | | | Section 1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria | | | | Section 1194.41 Information, Documentation and Support | | | Return to the top of the page.../AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Local Settings/Temporary Internet Files/OLK42/VPAT.html | Section 1194.21 Software Applications and Operating Systems – Detail
VPAT ™
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Criteria | Supporting Features | Remarks and
explanations | | | (a) When software is designed to run on a system that has a keyboard, product functions shall be executable from a keyboard where the function itself or the result of performing a function can be discerned textually. | | | | | (b) Applications shall not disrupt or disable activated features of other products that are identified as accessibility features, where those | | | | | features are developed and documented according to industry standards. Applications also shall not disrupt or disable activated features of any operating system that are identified as accessibility features where the application programming interface for those accessibility features has been documented by the manufacturer of the operating system and is available to the product developer. | | | | --- | --- | --- | | (c) A well-defined on-screen indication of the current focus shall be provided that moves among interactive interface elements as the input focus changes. The focus shall be programmatically exposed so that Assistive Technology can track focus and focus changes. | | | | (d) Sufficient information about a user interface element including the identity, operation and state of the element shall be available to Assistive Technology. When animage represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must also be available in text. | | | | (e) When bitmap images are used to identify controls, status indicators, or other programmatic elements, the meaning assigned to those images shall be consistent throughout a

FAQs

What is the purpose of VPAT Version 1.3?

VPAT Version 1.3 helps federal contracting officials and buyers conduct preliminary assessments of commercial Electronic and Information Technology products and services for accessibility-supporting features.

What do the VPAT tables include?

The summary table maps subsections to supporting features and provides remarks. The detailed tables list lettered criteria paragraphs, the product’s supporting features for each paragraph, and additional remarks and explanations.

What accessibility criteria are covered for software applications and operating systems?

VPAT details criteria such as keyboard-executable functions, focus indication exposed for assistive technology, sufficient user interface element information, textual equivalents, and constraints on animation, color, and flashing.

Sep 13, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa