A customer asks for a VPAT before signing
Enterprise and public-sector buyers ask for an Accessibility Conformance Report during procurement. The audit tests the product they will use and supports the VPAT in the edition they request.
ADA compliance
Know what the ADA asks of your product
US rules, courts and enterprise buyers measure digital products against WCAG. An audit against WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 AA shows where your product stands, what to fix first, and produces the conformance report US buyers ask for.
Start here
Who the ADA covers
The Americans with Disabilities Act names no technical standard for most businesses, but three parts of US law shape what's expected of digital products.
Software sold to businesses is most often reached through contracts rather than lawsuits: enterprise buyers, federal agencies and state and local governments ask vendors to show WCAG conformance, usually with a VPAT, before they buy or renew. Your legal counsel confirms how the law applies to your product.
Title III
Businesses open to the public
The Department of Justice and most courts treat the websites and apps of businesses that serve the public as covered, although some courts have held that businesses operating only online aren't. Claims are brought through private lawsuits and typically measure the product against WCAG.
Title II
State and local government
A 2024 Department of Justice rule requires state and local government websites and apps, including those provided through vendors, to conform to WCAG 2.1 AA.
Section 508
Federal procurement
Federal agencies must buy accessible technology. Vendors show conformance with a VPAT in the Section 508 edition, which is based on WCAG.
When it applies
When teams look at the ADA
A demand letter or complaint names your product
No audit can stop a claim from being filed. A documented audit gives your counsel a clear view of where the product stands against WCAG, what has been fixed since and what comes next.
You sell to state or local government
Public entities must meet WCAG 2.1 AA for the web content and apps they provide, including tools supplied by vendors.
Requirements
What the ADA asks for in practice
For digital products, the ADA is met through conformance with WCAG and the documents that show it.
I.
WCAG 2.1 AA as the working benchmark
The Title II rule sets WCAG 2.1 AA, courts usually apply it to businesses too, and Section 508 references WCAG 2.0 AA. Testing to WCAG 2.2 AA covers all of these, and results can be reported against each version a buyer names.
II.
An Accessibility Conformance Report
The ADA doesn't require one, but federal agencies and most enterprise buyers ask for it: a VPAT in the WCAG or Section 508 edition, written from test results, with a remark for every open issue.
III.
An accessibility statement
Required for federal agencies and good practice for everyone else: it names the standard, known limitations and how users can report a barrier.
IV.
Progress on record
A remediation roadmap, with fixes and re-tests recorded against it, shows the product moving toward conformance over time.
From audit to evidence
How the audit supports ADA compliance
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Audit
Automated testing and expert review against EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.2 AA, with every finding mapped to its clause and rated by its effect on users.
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Remediation
A roadmap that puts quick wins and critical findings first. Once the findings are in, we can scope the design updates with you.
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Documentation
A VPAT in the WCAG or Section 508 edition and an accessibility statement drafted from the results, both ready for your legal team to review. After the fixes go live, a re-test brings them up to date.
Related case
Three surfaces, three standards, one audit
Smarttid
Workforce time-registration platform
SmartTID handles clock-ins, collective agreements and payroll sync. We audited its portal, web terminal and mobile app with automated scans plus keyboard and VoiceOver testing, rated each issue and planned the fixes.
210
Checks across WCAG 2.1, WCAG 2.2 and EN 301 549, Levels A and AA
3
Surfaces audited: web portal, web terminal, mobile app
FAQ
Common questions
Does the ADA apply to websites and apps?
No audit can stop a claim from being filed. It gives your counsel documented evidence of where the product stands and what has been fixed since, which is what a response to a claim is built on.
Does the ADA apply to B2B software?
No audit can stop a claim from being filed. It gives your counsel documented evidence of where the product stands and what has been fixed since, which is what a response to a claim is built on.
Do we need a VPAT for ADA compliance?
No audit can stop a claim from being filed. It gives your counsel documented evidence of where the product stands and what has been fixed since, which is what a response to a claim is built on.
Can an audit protect us from a lawsuit?
No audit can stop a claim from being filed. It gives your counsel documented evidence of where the product stands and what has been fixed since, which is what a response to a claim is built on.