VPATs and ACRs: A Guide to Accessible Procurement

When colleges select technology, accessibility is an important part of ensuring students can fully access the tools and services they need to learn, apply, and succeed. Whether you’re involved in IT, procurement, student services, registration, or another area that evaluates or uses technology, understanding how vendors document accessibility can help you make more informed decisions.

As part of the California Community Colleges’ ongoing focus on accessible technology, it’s helpful for college teams to understand two terms that frequently come up when evaluating technology: VPAT and ACR. While these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they are not the same thing.

VPAT vs. ACR: What’s the Difference?

  • A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is a standardized template developed by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI). It provides a framework for documenting how a product or service addresses accessibility standards.
  • An ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report) is the completed, product-specific report that communicates how a particular product performs against applicable accessibility criteria.

Put simply: the VPAT is the template; the ACR is the completed report.

This distinction matters when working with vendors. A blank VPAT provides a framework for documenting accessibility, but it does not tell a college how a specific product performs. An ACR provides product-specific information that can help colleges understand where a product supports, partially supports, or does not support applicable accessibility criteria.

Why Does This Matter for Colleges?

Technology decisions can directly affect whether students can access and use essential college services and learning tools. Colleges should consider accessibility during procurement to identify potential barriers before a product is purchased and becomes part of the student experience.

Understanding an ACR can help college teams:

  • Ask more informed questions of vendors
  • Identify potential accessibility barriers before purchasing
  • Evaluate accessibility alongside other technology and business requirements
  • Make technology decisions that better support equitable access for students, faculty, and staff

Accessible procurement is not simply a technical or compliance exercise. It is an opportunity for college teams across the organization to consider accessibility from the beginning and make technology decisions that support more inclusive experiences.

Resources for Accessible Procurement

As accessibility continues to be a priority across the California Community Colleges, understanding what accessibility documentation to request—and how to use it—can help colleges take a more proactive approach to technology procurement.

Ready to learn more? Explore these self-paced micro-courses from the CCC Accessibility Center:

Additional self-paced courses on this and related topics are available in the Accessibility Center’s Self-Paced Training Catalog.

The CCC Accessibility Center also offers resources and guidance to help college teams navigate accessible procurement. For questions or support, contact accessibility@ccctechcenter.org.