How often should I update my VPAT?

For web accessibility, an accessibility conformance report (ACR) is a report that details the accessibility of a website, web app, mobile application, or other digital product. The most commonly used template is called the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template, or VPAT, and it essentially documents how well a product conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

The appropriate update schedule for your accessibility report depends on several factors, including your goals for the report, who you share the report with, and how frequently you release product updates. It's recommended to update your accessibility conformance report at least once per year, but consider what schedule works best for your situation.

Common update strategies include:

• As required by legal or contractual obligations.
• On a regular schedule, such as quarterly or annually.
• At the same time you update your user guide. Especially if your accessibility report is available to users, ideally both documents should describe the same product version.
• Every time you release an update to content or features that affects accessibility. This schedule is easiest to maintain if you consistently evaluate and test the accessibility of updates prior to release.

You can also combine strategies: for example, update specific parts of the report alongside scheduled releases, and also periodically conduct a comprehensive accessibility evaluation for a full report update. Whatever strategy you choose, ensure that the scope, date, and any limitations of the accessibility report are clearly communicated.

Accessibility conformance reports provide important information to your customers, users, and internal teams, and following an update schedule helps keep the report complete and accurate.

To learn more about creating or updating an accessibility conformance report, contact Accessible Web.