Posted on by Graeme Coleman in Standards, Testing
Tags: WCAG
An Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) is a document that formally summarises the extent to which an information and communications technology (ICT) product or service conforms to an agreed set of international accessibility guidelines and standards.
Typically, an ACR will document a product or service's conformance to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, but it is often also used to show conformance against the Revised 508 standards (for products and services sold in the US) and EN 301 549 (for products and services sold in the European Union). Read our WCAG Primer to learn more about the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
ACRs are commonly used as part of the procurement or tendering process. Buyers of the product or service can use the ACR to compare compliance levels between competing suppliers in order to make the choice that best meets their requirements.
ACRs are not mandatory per se, but certain organisations will not enter into agreements to purchase the related product or service unless an associated ACR is available. In particular, an ACR is often required for products and services sold to:
Even non-governmental organisations may require you to provide an ACR. Examples include:
Therefore, it is good practice to have an ACR for each of your ICT products and services in case an opportunity arises for you to market them to organisations of the above types in the future. Additionally, even if an ACR is not required as part of the procurement process, providing one can show your commitment to making sure that your product or service is available to as wide an audience as possible - and to concede where you need to improve. ACRs are not set in stone - if you improve the accessibility of your product over time, then you can always revisit and update your ACR accordingly.
In short, most ICT products or services are subject to an ACR. The following list includes a few examples, although there are many, many more.
An ACR is based on a formal template known as a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). Note that the term "VPAT" is often used interchangeably with "accessibility conformance report", even though a VPAT specifically refers to the report's template rather than its contents (and is a registered trademark).
The VPAT is available as a Word document, but the related report can be presented in whichever format you prefer - such as Word, PDF, or even as an HTML page on the product's website.
The ACR is broken up into the following sections:
Each of the relevant standards are further separated out into individual tables made up of three columns covering:
There are five possible conformance levels:
The following table demonstrates how conformance against the first two WCAG Level A success criteria may be recorded in practice.
| Criteria | Conformance Level | Remarks and Explanations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A) | Supports | All non-text content that is presented to the user has a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose. |
| 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) (Level A) | Partially supports | An equivalent transcript is provided for all prerecorded audio-only content, with the exception of audiobook content from third-party providers. |
It is important to note that, depending on the applicable standards and guidelines, and the type of product or service, certain sections within the ACR can be skipped entirely. For example, if your product or service is not available within the European Union, tables related to EN 301 549 do not need to be completed. Similarly, if your product is a web-based application that only runs in the browser and does not require documentation or additional support services, then it is normally not necessary to complete tables related to software and support documentation.
At TetraLogical, every member of our team has extensive experience producing ACRs for a wide range of ICT products and services.
We begin by agreeing the applicable international standards and guidelines based on your needs, and where your (potential) customers are located. We also determine which sections of the VPAT need to be completed based on the type, functionality, and features of the product or service.
We then formally assess your product or service against the agreed international standards and guidelines using a blend of inspection tools, manual testing, and usability verification with assistive technologies. The results of this assessment will then form the basis of the ACR. At this stage, you can choose to release the ACR "as is".
If you have agreed to a retest to be conducted at a later date, we can also update the ACR to reflect the results of our retest.
Find out more about the European Union Public Sector Accessibility Regulations and how assessments can help you identify issues in your websites, mobile applications, design systems, and other products and services.
Updated: 12 December 2023
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