Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)
Per the Shippensburg University Information Technology Accessibility Plan, completion and submission of the VPAT is a requirement for contracts for products and services where electronic and information technology is involved. Proposals or bids without a completed VPAT may be disqualified from the competition.
VPAT Sheets
VPAT Software Applications and Operating Systems [MS Word]
VPAT Desktop and Portable Computer [MS Word]
VPAT Video and Multimedia Product [MS Word]
VPAT Telecommunications Product [MS Word]
VPAT Web Based Internet Information and Application [MS Word]
Understanding the columns
Use the following to understand the use of the three columns in the VPAT tables.
| Column Name | Use |
|---|---|
|
Criteria: |
Describes a specific guideline that a Subpart is composed of. |
|
Supporting Features: |
To Enter information summarizing a product’s “level-of-support” for a specific guideline. |
|
Remarks/Explanations: |
To Enter detailed information on how the product did or did not support a specific guideline. |
What information do I enter in columns 2 and 3?
The Supporting Features and Remarks/Explanations columns are used to document exactly how a product did or did not meet the Section 508 Standards. In order to promote consistency in Vendor responses, which will ensure a quicker review process by Shippensburg University’s contracting and procurement officials, we encourage you to answer these columns in the following manner.
Supporting Features (second column on Template)
| Language | Description |
|---|---|
|
Supports |
Product FULLY meets the letter and intent of the Criteria. |
|
Supports with Exceptions |
Product does not ENTIRELY meet the letter and intent of the Criteria, but does provide some level of access. |
|
Supports through Equivalent Facilitation |
Product provides alternative methods to meet the intent of the Criteria. |
|
Does not Support |
Product does not meet the letter or intent of the Criteria. |
|
Not Applicable |
The Criteria does not apply to the product. |
Remarks & Explanations (third column on Template)
| If 2nd column states… | Then… |
|---|---|
|
Supports |
List exactly what features of the product do meet and describe how they are used to support the Criteria. |
|
Supports with Exceptions |
List exactly what features of the product do meet and describe how they are used to support the Criteria.
AND List exactly what parts of the product do not meet and describe how they fail to support the Criteria. |
|
Supports through Equivalent Facilitation |
List exactly what other methods exist in the product and describe how they are used to support the Criteria. |
|
Supports when combined with Compatible Assistive Technology |
Use this language when you determine the product fully meets the letter and intent of the Criteria when used in combination with Compatible Assistive Technology. For example, many software programs can provide speech output when combined with a compatible screen reader (commonly used assistive technology for people who are blind).
|
|
Does not Support |
Describe exactly how the product does not support the Criteria. |
|
Not Applicable |
Describe exactly why the criteria is not applicable to the product. |
|
Not Applicable -- Fundamental Alteration Exception Supplies |
Use this language when you determine a Fundamental Alteration to the product would be required to meet the Criteria (see the U.S. Access Board standards for the definition of “fundamental alteration”). |