Demystifying Hardware VPAT: A Comprehensive Guide from adacompliancepros's blog

What is hardware VPAT?

A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a document that explains how information and communication technology (ICT) products and services, such as software, hardware, electronic content, and support documentation, conform to the Revised 508 Standards for IT accessibility. Hardware VPAT is a document used during Section 508 certification to document how hardware meets the Revised 508 Standards for IT accessibility.

This article serves to increase your awareness and demystify the process of Section 508 testing using hardware VPAT, regardless of your experience level with Section 508 compliance requirements.

Guide to completing hardware VPAT after Section 508 audit

Hardware VPAT is a representation of how a given piece of hardware meets the applicable 508 compliance requirements. The hardware owner must first undertake Section 508 testing of the product against the 508 compliance requirements in order to complete the VPAT. Here are the steps to guide you on how to go about this:

Step 1: Download the hardware VPAT

The hardware VPAT is a free template that may be downloaded by going to the ITI website. At the bottom of the webpage, you will find four editions of the document: VPAT 2.x Rev, EU, INT, 508, and WCAG. You will choose the edition that is relevant to the market in which you want your hardware sold.

Step 2: Complete the VPAT title page

The hardware VPAT begins with several pages of instructions. Read the instructions carefully and remove the instruction pages when submitting the completed hardware VPAT. The following information must be provided: Name of the hardware and version number, if applicable; report date; description of the hardware; contact information; additional notes (if any); and evaluation methods.

For the hardware description category or categories that encompass the hardware, you must use one of four phrases—supports, partially supports, does not support, or is not applicable—to describe the hardware’s level of conformance.

Step 3: Determine the applicability of the Revised Section 508 Technical Standards

There are four Revised Section 508 tables labelled as Chapters 3, 4, and 6. Complete the applicable ones. If there are functions in the hardware not addressed by Chapters 4 or 5, then your hardware needs to conform to the criteria in Chapter 3: Functional Performance Criteria. But for all hardware products, you must complete Chapter 4: Hardware.

Step 4: Final Checklist 

Make sure that you perform a final check to make sure you have completely filled out the hardware VPAT. That includes checking whether you have used the correct version of the VPAT, ensuring that you have excluded the first several pages of instructions and have deleted the instruction pages from the completed VPAT; the information fields at the top of the VPAT are duly completed; and, if applicable, you have completed the Success Criteria, Level A, and Level AA tables. Also check whether you have used the correct phrases to describe the conformance levels for the accessibility hardware, and make sure you have completed the applicable Revised Section 508 table.

You should also countercheck whether you have completed the remarks column, and in areas where you have indicated the conformance level as either “Partially Supports” or “Does Not Support,” you should have explained further in the respective remarks column. Also check whether your final filled-out VPAT is accessible and remediate as necessary.

Need a Section 508 consultant to help you with your hardware VPAT?

Completing your hardware VPAT could be intimidating if you have never done VPAT completion before. You don’t have to struggle alone in silence because you can be assisted in filling out the VPAT by a trusted Section 508 consultant. Call ADACP at (626) 486-2201 to be assisted with getting a Section 508 consultant to assist you in filling out your hardware VPAT.