How to fill out a VPAT 2.5
Filling out a VPAT 2.5 is mechanical once you understand the two things it asks for on every row: a conformance level and remarks. The conformance levels are fixed — Supports, Partially Supports, Does Not Support, Not Applicable, and Not Evaluated — and choosing the right one is mostly honesty plus testing. The remarks are where the report earns trust. "Supports" with no remark is weak; "Partially Supports — form fields have labels, but error messages are not announced to screen readers (fails 4.1.3)" tells a buyer exactly what to expect.
Start with the front matter: product name, version, report date, vendor, a contact for accessibility questions, and the evaluation methods you used (manual screen reader testing, automated scans, code review). State the applicable standard so the reader knows whether they are looking at a WCAG or a Section 508 report. Then work down the criteria in order — Level A first, then Level AA, then the Section 508 chapters if that is your edition.
Use the levels precisely. "Not Applicable" means the criterion genuinely cannot apply (for example, captions on a product with no audio), not that you skipped it. "Not Evaluated" is honest when you have not tested something yet, and it is better than guessing "Supports." Buyers and accessibility reviewers spot a report that marks everything green, and it costs you credibility.
VPAT Studio turns this into a guided wizard: every criterion is laid out with its official id, name and a plain-language description, a conformance dropdown, and a remarks box. When you are done, it assembles the standard ACR structure and exports PDF and DOCX in one click, all client-side.
Open the ACR builder — free, no upload
The fill-out workflow
- Complete the front matter: product, version, date, vendor, contact, evaluation methods.
- Pick the edition — WCAG 2.1 or Revised Section 508 — to load the right criteria tables.
- Go criterion by criterion: choose a conformance level and write specific remarks.
- Use Not Applicable only when a criterion truly cannot apply; use Not Evaluated honestly.
- Export to PDF for distribution and DOCX for a final editing pass.
Questions
What does 'Partially Supports' mean?
The product meets the criterion in some places or for some users but not all. It is the most useful and most common honest answer, and it should always carry remarks describing the gap.
Do I have to test before filling it in?
You should. A VPAT based on actual testing — manual screen reader runs, keyboard-only navigation, automated scans, code inspection — is credible; one based on assumptions is not. Record your methods in the front matter.
Can I leave criteria blank?
Mark them Not Evaluated rather than leaving them blank. A blank row reads as an oversight; Not Evaluated is an honest, deliberate status.