Questions · Procurement, updates and cost
A bid due next week asks for our VPAT. How fast can an ACR be done properly?
At ACR Desk, 5 business days at a fixed price for up to 15 screens or key flows, from the deposit, a test account and the agreed screen list. A deadline doesn’t change the work: every criterion at each level reported needs an answer (50 at A and AA in WCAG 2.1), so narrow the scope, not the testing.
What a deadline does not change
- Every row at the levels you report gets an answer. ITI’s instructions say all criteria of a reported level must be answered, ask authors to check that each has a conformance level and a remark, and to describe the evaluation methods used. That is 50 Level A and AA criteria in WCAG 2.1, 55 in WCAG 2.2.
- Federal buyers: GSA’s Section508.gov tells agencies to require an ACR for each ICT item and states that, to be considered for award, “the ACR must be complete.” It also tells them to require a Supplemental Accessibility Report describing the evaluation methods used to produce the ACR, “to demonstrate due diligence,” and GSA’s Issue Detail Supplement.
- A “Not Evaluated” row is not a shortcut: ITI’s template allows it only for Level AAA criteria, and GSA tells purchasers it means the vendor has not assessed that requirement, and to ask the vendor about its plans.
What you can narrow
W3C’s evaluation methodology (WCAG-EM 2.0) starts by defining the scope of the product and the conformance target, then identifies common views and essential functionality, and selects a representative sample that includes complete processes. That is where time is saved honestly: report on the product and version named in the bid, in the edition the buyer asked for, and agree the sample up front — the screens and flows a buyer’s users rely on.
What the buyer may do next
GSA tells purchasers to verify vendor claims with independent testing whenever possible, and suggests agencies reserve the right to test before award, on final commercially available release versions rather than trial versions. Test the release you are bidding: a report finished in a hurry has to hold up when the buyer tests.
How ACR Desk handles this
Our ACRs are delivered in 5 business days, at a fixed price ($1,490 for the WCAG edition, $1,990 for Section 508, EU or INT), for up to 15 screens or key flows. Send your bid’s due date with the request: we reply within one U.S. business day with the price, the scope and a delivery date. The clock starts when we have the deposit, a working test account and the agreed list of screens and flows; if we miss the date, you don’t pay. We have no faster tier: if your bid is due before our date, tell us before you pay.
Prices, scope and delivery terms Free accessibility snapshot
Last reviewed: October 22, 2026. Not legal advice: rules change, and your buyer’s solicitation or contract governs what they require.
Sources
Primary sources only. Each was read on October 22, 2026.
- VPAT® 2.5Rev WCAG edition (April 2025) — template and Essential Requirements for authors (Word file) — Information Technology Industry Council (ITI).
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 — W3C Recommendation (current version dated May 6, 2025) — W3C.
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 — W3C Recommendation (current version dated December 12, 2024) — W3C.
- Request Accessibility Information from Vendors and Contractors — Section508.gov, GSA.
- Understanding Vendor Claims in Accessibility Conformance Reports for Section 508 Conformance — Section508.gov, GSA.
- WCAG Evaluation Methodology (WCAG-EM) 2.0 — W3C Group Note, July 23, 2026 — W3C.
- ACR Issue Detail Supplement — Section508.gov, GSA (reviewed/updated October 2026).