Vendor Product Accessibility

MVCC works with with numerous technology vendors and many of them provide documentation of product accessibility status, often through a VPAT (voluntary product accessibility template), which follow the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Level 2.0 AA (includes A).

The VPAT checklist, created by the Information Technology Industry Council, mirrors the US Federal Government's technology accessibility requirements. Vendors indicate to what degree their product complies with each accessibility criterion. More information about the VPAT is available from the Information Technology Industry Council's Accessibility page.

Questions to Ask Vendors

While many vendors have accessibility documentation, it can also help to ask for more information. Vendor responses to the following questions can help reveal the depth and of a vendor's commitment to inclusive design and accessibility.

  • Can users perform all functions without a mouse?
  • Has the tool, product, or site been tested using assistive technologies?
  • If so, which assistive technology tools? What methods were used? What were the findings? Who did the testing?
  • If the product supports audio, does it support captions?
  • If the product produces output, is the output accessible?
  • What other accessibility documentation is available?
  • What are common accessibility-related issues with the product?

VPATs and other information submitted to MVCC as of November 2020 include: