Challenges with VPATs

Is the product accessible?

CHALLENGES WITHVPATSNovember 6, 2013

© 2013 Interactive Accessibility11/6/2013 1

11/6/2013 © 2013 Interactive Accessibility 2

Kathleen WahlbinEmail: [email protected]: 978-443-0798http://www.interactiveaccessibility.com

The Accessibility Experts

VPATS

What is a VPAT?

What about 3rd Party Applications?

What do we need to comply with? Are there exceptions?

If the VPAT says supports, does that mean it will work with assistive technology?

How do I know if the VPAT is accurate?


WHAT IS VPAT?

What is VPAT?


What is VPAT? What is it’s Purpose?

• Stands for Voluntary Product Accessibility Template• A tool to document a product's conformance with

Section 508• Assists procurement departments and government

agencies in making initial assessments of the level of accessibility


Section 508


Software

Web

Telecommunications

Video & multimedia

Self-contained, closed products

Computers

Documentation / Support services

Format of VPAT

• List of the Section 508 standards with summary– Summary table provides an overall level of conformance

to Section 508– Series of Section 1194 tables list the detailed

requirements and the level of conformance to each provision


Summary Table


Guideline Applicable ComplianceSection 1194.21 Software Applications and Operating

Systems

Applicable Supports through Equivalent

Facilitation

Section 1194.22 Web-based internet information and

applications

Applicable Supports

Section 1194.23 Telecommunications Products Not Applicable -

Section 1194.24 Video and Multi-media Products Not Applicable -

Section 1194.25 Self-Contained, Closed Products Not Applicable -

Section 1194.26 Desktop and Portable Computers Not Applicable -

Section 1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria Applicable Supports with exceptions

Section 1194.41 Information, documentation, and

support.

Not Applicable -

Summary Table

• Table of each of the sections• Section is compliant if all the provisions meet the

requirements– Supports– Supports through equivalent facilitation– Supports when combined with compatible AT

• Section is partially met if any of the requirements are “supports with exceptions”

• Section does not meet the requirements if any provisions has “does not support”


Detail Requirements

• Each table has three columns as follows:


Column Name PurposeCriteria: Describes a specific provisionSupporting Features: Provides a summary of the support for the

subpart of provisionRemarks/Explanations: Explains how it does or does not support the

provision

Level of Support


Supporting Feature Phrase What It Means

Supports Fully meets the provision

Supports with Exceptions Does not fully meet but provides some level of access

Supports through Equivalent

FacilitationMeets by providing an alternative method

Supports when combined with

compatible AT

Meets the provision when used with compatible assistive

technology

Does not Support Does not meet the provision

Not Applicable Provision does not apply

Not Applicable – fundamental

alternation exception applies

Fundamental alternation of the product would be required to

meet the criteria

Example – Section 1194.21

Criteria Supporting Features Remarks and explanations

(a) When software is designed to run on a system

that has a keyboard, product functions shall be

executable from a keyboard where the function

itself or the result of performing a function can be

discerned textually.

Supports through

equivalent facilitation

The website can be accessed with the keyboard except for the drag

and drop form control, increase and decrease value and the

calendar control. An alternative and equivalent version has been

provided for all data entry.

(b) Applications shall not disrupt or disable

activated features of other products that are

identified as accessibility features, where those

features are developed and documented

according to industry standards. Applications also

shall not disrupt or disable activated features of

any operating system that are identified as

accessibility features where the application

programming interface for those accessibility

features has been documented by the

manufacturer of the operating system and is

available to the product developer.

Supports The website does not disrupt or disable Windows operating system

accessibility features such as high contrast mode, filter keys, toggle

keys, sticky keys, and the on-screen keyboard.


What Sections Are Required?

• Websites– Subsection 22 & 31

• Web applications– Subsection 21, 22, 31 and most of the time 41


WCAG 2.0 Statement of Accessibility


• Two options:– Accessibility statement describing level of compliance with

WCAG 2.0 success criteria– Conformance claim

CHALLENGES WITH VPATS


Company Perspective

• Release schedules often tight• Balance between features and accessibility• Time for accessibility testing• Large, distributed teams• New staff may not know accessibility• New product acquisitions / third party applications• Section 508 is outdated set of guidelines so does not

always make sense given current technology• Telling too much can hurt the sale of the product


VPAT Consumer Perspective

• Procurement officer does not know how to interpret it• Difficult to know whether or not the VPAT is accurate and

complete• Often does not have a lot of information• Information contained in the VPAT may be confusing• Product may not be available to verify the information• Hard to compare competing products based on VPAT

– Subjectivity by VPAT authors and product reviewers– Detail and completeness may vary by authors– The product with fewer apparent problems may get selected even if

it is not the most accessible


General Issues with VPATs

• Provisions are high-level and do not provide enough information to know if it will work for a person with a disability

• Meeting the guidelines does not always mean it will work well with all assistive technology


What challenges do you face?


What is a good VPAT?

• Has enough information to know what the issues are and the impact of those issues

• Clearly identifies what areas of the site are covered under the VPAT

• Documents types of users who may have issues with the product

• Provides details for all provisions on how it meets or does not meet the requirements


What are some examples of good VPATS?


Example VPAT language

(d) Sufficient information about a user interface element including the identity, operation and state of the element shall be available to Assistive Technology. When an image represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must also be available in text.

Supports Application includesmodal dialogs, expand/collapse sections, and tab structures. The identity, role and state information that is convey visually is available to assistive technology such as screen readers.


Example VPAT language

(d) Sufficient information about a user interface element including the identity, operation and state of the element shall be available to Assistive Technology. When an image represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must also be available in text.

Does not support

Application includes modal dialogs, expand/collapse sections, and tab structures. The information including identity, operation and state is not provided to assistive technology. Users with visual impairments using screen reader and screen magnifier with speech may have difficulty interacting with these user interface elements.


HOW TO VERIFY A VPAT

5 Practical Tips


Tip 1: Review the VPAT language

• Review content for clarity and completeness• Identify inconsistencies• Look for detailed explanations• Understand what the impact would be and who would

be affected


Tip 2: Run Accessibility Checker

• Many tools available to check underlying code– WAVE toolbar– Sortsite

• Cross-reference reported issues to VPAT

WARNING: Automated tools only capture 25-30% of the accessibility issues on the page


Tip 3: Try Product with Screen Reader

• Goal of the guidelines is to ensure that it works with assistive technology

• Testing with screen reader will identify issues that all users with disabilities may face– Keyboard only– Navigation structure– Readability of content


Tip 4: Meet with Company

• Get further insight into details of provisions• Gauge the level of knowledge of the team in Section

508– Did they just copy language from some where else

• Get development plan for areas of non-compliance• Ask questions about the impact the issues identified

would have on a person with a disability


Tip 5: Get Feedback From Users


Effectiveness

Efficiency

Learnability Error Prevention

Satisfaction

What do you do?


Questions?


Are you accessible?Thank you!

11/6/2013 32© 2013 Interactive Accessibility

Kathy WahlbinEmail: [email protected]: 978-443-0798http://www.interactiveaccessibility.com

@wahlbin

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.interactiveaccessibility.com/