The original discussion covers public release of the VPAT XML schema, the challenges of proprietary tools, and the general skepticism in the community about VPAT® compliance mechanisms.
Connecting VPAT Principles to Document Accessibility
VPAT documents are designed to capture accessibility compliance information. The same discipline applies to managing PDFs, Word documents, and other digital content:
- Consistent accessibility tagging
- Structured content for screen readers
- Document-level metadata and roles
- Audit-ready compliance reporting
AccessibilityWatch™ automates VPAT-like checks for modern documents:
- Upload PDFs, Word, and PowerPoint files
- Automated accessibility testing and remediation
- Continuous monitoring to maintain WCAG & Section 508 compliance
- Generate ready-to-use reports for audits, VPAT submission, and procurement
Why Automation Matters
Manual VPAT preparation and document review is slow, error-prone, and inconsistent. AccessibilityWatch™ automates the process, allowing organizations to scale document accessibility while maintaining compliance and reducing legal and operational risk.
In short, VPAT discussions may focus on XML formats, but the real need is practical accessibility for all digital documents. AccessibilityWatch™ delivers that.