VPAT in Retail & e-Commerce: Accessibility Insights

What is a VPAT?

A VPAT, or voluntary product accessibility template, is a web-based prototype document. It enables vendors of information and communication technology (ICT) products and services to document how their offerings comply with established accessibility standards.

These standards include the Section 508 Standard, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and the EN 301 549 Standard for publicly accessible ICT in Europe and Australia.

The term "VPAT" is often mentioned alongside "VPAT accessibility conformance report (ACR)." This can cause confusion, making people think the terms are synonymous. However, the VPAT is a blank template.

In contrast, the VPAT-ACR is a filled-out VPAT that details how a VPAT-assessed ICT product or service conforms to the accessibility standard appropriate for the market where the product or service is to be procured.

VPAT accessibility in the retail and e-commerce sectors

Embracing VPAT compliance allows for the creation of better and more accessible retail and e-commerce experiences for everyone. Retail and e-commerce practitioners who have not prioritized accessibility are missing a significant opportunity.

People with disabilities represent the world’s largest minority group, making them a huge untapped market. Leading VPAT consulting firms report that individuals with disabilities have concentrated their substantial online spending power on a limited number of digitally accessible retail and e-commerce stores.

Imagine the opportunity lost by ignoring the urgency to capture even a small fraction of that market! It will definitely deepen the penetration of your business and earn you more revenue and profits.

Did you know that people with disabilities often bypass retail and e-commerce stores lacking VPAT accessibility, even if these stores offer amazing products and services?

This was a key research finding shared with our VPAT consultants by a leading scholar during a recent peer networking meeting. This trend highlights the importance of accessibility in retaining customers.

During a recent VPAT work trip to Australia, our senior ADA VPAT consultant observed a retail and e-commerce store whose clientele had halved over six months due to a delay in posting their updated VPAT ACR. In the same period, a competitor’s customer base saw a steep increase.

As part of the VPAT assessment for the client’s web-based products and services, the ADA VPAT consultant sampled a representative number of customers who had not made a purchase in the six months prior to the VPAT compliance exercise.

Findings from randomized surveys with these customers revealed critical information that every retail and e-commerce store should understand to avoid losing customers to competitors. One significant revelation, now a central focus of our VPAT consultations, is how customers perceive a store’s approach to accessibility simply by examining its VPAT reports.

Decoding a retail and e-commerce store’s approach to accessibility via their VPATs

Online retail and e-commerce businesses are growing at an incredible pace and fiercely competing with their offline counterparts. This trend was significantly accelerated by the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Even with the relaxation of COVID-related restrictions, people have largely grown accustomed to shopping online. This gives online stores a considerable advantage over traditional brick-and-mortar establishments.

Naturally, many offline stores are not passively losing business to online competitors. This is evident from the increasing number of previously offline stores scheduling VPAT consultations to help them venture into online retail and e-commerce.

As more traditional stores enter the online retail market, customers are becoming more adept at discerning genuine dedication to accessibility from mere public relations tactics. They can increasingly distinguish between businesses that truly care about accessibility and those primarily focused on sales.

The VPAT is proving instrumental in helping customers evaluate the authenticity of an online retail or e-commerce store's commitment to accessibility. It empowers them to choose stores that genuinely prioritize the accessibility of their products and services.

This evolving customer stance marks a new trend that will elevate the demand for accessibility. Retail and e-commerce stores that fail to meet their customers’ VPAT compliance expectations are likely to lose business to agile competitors.

These astute competitors intentionally make their products' and services' VPAT compliance dynamic and customer-focused. Here are some of the insights a retail and e-commerce store’s VPAT report reveals to its customers:

If you account for diverse forms of disabilities

One of the key factors most retail and e-commerce customers examine to determine an online store's commitment to accessibility is its effort in addressing various forms of disability. Many customers lean towards stores that demonstrate an inclusive design approach, going beyond merely accommodating a single disability.

You will significantly impress customers if your VPAT report covers a wide range of disabilities. This includes visual, physical, auditory, speech, neurological, and cognitive impairments, among others.

A dignified stance toward people with disabilities

Customers are learning to interpret a store's VPAT report as an indicator of its respectful consideration for people with disabilities. We were recently impressed by a customer who ceased purchasing from a well-known online retail and e-commerce store.

She meticulously scrutinized the section of the VPAT report detailing the methods used for VPAT testing, which generated the data and information for the report. When asked why she dedicated considerable time to reviewing these methods, she explained that VPAT assessments that actively seek and incorporate the opinions of people with disabilities into product or service improvement schemes demonstrate how the VPAT compliance process respects individuals with disabilities.

Retail and e-commerce stores that have mastered this secret are experiencing a steady increase in their customer base.

Innovation in challenging the status quo

Most customers of leading retail and e-commerce stores report that they are drawn to these businesses by innovative ideas that challenge existing norms. Ultimately, stores that reimagine new ways of providing accessibility are consistently winning customers' loyalty.

These innovative approaches to enhanced accessibility are revealed through the detailed explanations provided under the various provisions of their VPAT reports.

Need a quick retail and e-commerce VPAT compliance check?

No online retail or e-commerce store wants to experience the loss of customers to competitors. However, customer behavior is dynamic, and the current emphasis on accessibility is influencing how loyalties shift between stores.

Given customers' increasing scrutiny of VPAT reports to gauge a retail and e-commerce store's commitment to accessibility, prioritizing VPAT compliance for your products and services is essential. This can be a challenging journey that often requires assistance from an experienced VPAT consultant.

ADACP can guide you through this process. Let us help you align with your customers' VPAT aspirations so you can retain your current customer base and attract new ones to your retail and e-commerce stores.

Contact our VPAT consultant at (626) 486-2201 for more information on how we can assist you. Take advantage of our free VPAT consultations to understand how customers evaluate your approach to accessibility by reviewing your VPAT ACR.