Client & Context
A VPAT for SaaS products is no longer optional paperwork — for enterprise and public-sector deals it is the gate. Happeo, the social intranet platform, needed an Accessibility Conformance Report for its web application that would stand up to procurement scrutiny, and needed it quickly.
The Challenge
The worst VPATs are written from a vendor questionnaire instead of from testing. Buyers have learned to spot them. Happeo wanted the opposite: a report whose every conformance claim traced back to an actual test result on the live application — delivered inside a single week (April 16–23) without disrupting the product team.
How We Build a VPAT for SaaS Products
We evaluated the application against WCAG success criteria using the same evidence standard we apply in audits: screen reader passes with NVDA and VoiceOver, full keyboard-only journeys through core flows, and inspection of dynamic components — navigation, search, content feeds, and settings.
Each criterion in the VPAT 2.5 template (ITI) was then completed with an honest conformance level — Supports, Partially Supports, or Does Not Support — with remarks that explain the finding in language both procurement reviewers and developers understand. Inflated claims create legal exposure; documented exceptions create trust.
The Results
- Tested, procurement-ready ACR delivered in 7 days
- Every claim backed by manual assistive-technology testing
- Clear remediation notes for criteria marked Partially Supports
- Engagement rated 5.0 out of 5.0 on Upwork
A credible VPAT does double duty: it unblocks the sales cycle today and hands the product team a prioritised accessibility roadmap for tomorrow.
Choosing the Right VPAT Edition
The VPAT template ships in four editions, and choosing wrong wastes money: the WCAG edition covers the W3C guidelines alone; the Section 508 edition adds the US federal procurement chapters; the EU edition maps to EN 301 549; and the INT edition combines all three. For a SaaS product selling internationally, the right answer depends on where the next twelve months of deals are coming from — not on which template is longest.
Buyers have also become sophisticated readers. Procurement teams now look for three tells of an untested VPAT: every criterion marked “Supports” with no remarks, evaluation methods that mention only automated tools, and remarks written in marketing language rather than testing language. A report with documented exceptions and specific remarks reads as more credible precisely because it admits imperfection.
Keeping a SaaS VPAT Honest Over Time
SaaS products ship weekly; conformance reports describe a moment. We advise clients to treat the VPAT for SaaS platforms as a living document on a 12-month refresh cycle — or after any major navigation, editor, or onboarding rework, whichever comes first. The refresh costs a fraction of the original evaluation because the baseline already exists.
- Annual re-test of core flows against the existing report
- Delta documentation for new features shipped since the last edition
- Updated remarks so procurement language never drifts from product reality
That cadence is what keeps the report an asset in the sales cycle instead of a liability discovered mid-deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast can a SaaS VPAT realistically be delivered? Seven days was achievable here because scope was agreed up front and the application was stable; one to three weeks is typical for a mid-size product.
Will a VPAT with “Partially Supports” entries hurt sales? Usually the opposite — documented exceptions with remediation notes read as credible, while all-green reports invite procurement challenges.
Who should sign the VPAT? The evaluating organisation. Ours are completed and stood behind by IAAP-certified specialists, which is exactly what enterprise reviewers look for.
Need a VPAT That Survives Procurement?
If a buyer has asked for your VPAT — or you want one ready before they ask — see our VPAT & ACR documentation service, browse all accessibility services, or request a quote. Reports are completed by IAAP-certified professionals and refreshed as your product evolves.
