ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report)
What is an ACR?
An Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) is a detailed assessment of products, platforms, content or services in terms of their compliance with digital accessibility standards. ACRs serve as comprehensive documentation of how digital offerings fulfil accessibility requirements or where there are still deficits. They can be generated using various methods, including reports, checklists or the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®).
The role of ACRs in digital accessibility
ACRs are crucial for assessing the accessibility of digital products. They provide a structured overview of areas that comply with recognised accessibility standards and at the same time identify those aspects that need to be improved. This makes ACRs an important tool for developers, designers and content managers to make their offerings accessible to a wider audience.
Creating an ACR
Core components of an ACR
- Review of accessibility standards: Detailed assessment, based on internationally recognised standards such as the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).
- Identification of non-conformities: Documentation of features that do not fully comply with accessibility standards, with suggestions for improvements.
- Assessment methodology: Description of the methods and tools used to assess accessibility.
Practical steps for creating an ACR
- Detailed analysis: Conduct a comprehensive review of digital resources using specialised tools and manual testing.
- Documentation of the results: Recording compliance and non-conformance areas in a structured report.
- Recommendations for improvement: Providing concrete suggestions to address identified accessibility issues.
Who should create an ACR?
ACRs should be created by professionals trained in digital accessibility assessment, ideally in collaboration with users who rely on assistive technologies.
How often should an ACR be updated?
It is always advisable to update an ACR if significant changes have been made to digital products or services that could affect accessibility.
What is the difference between accessibility "compliance" and "conformance"?
While compliance refers to mandatory adherence, conformity is about voluntary adherence. In other words, accessibility compliance refers to mandatory compliance with all web accessibility standards.
What is the difference between ACR and VPAT?
The VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is a template used by manufacturers to describe the accessibility of their products. It lists how a product complies or does not comply with various accessibility standards. An ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report), on the other hand, is a more detailed report that is created based on the VPAT and provides comprehensive information about the accessibility of a product. While the VPAT is primarily intended to provide potential buyers with a quick assessment, the ACR provides more in-depth and official documentation of conformity with accessibility standards. The VPAT is more of a basis for the ACR, which contains additional explanations and test results. The ACR is used specifically in more formal contexts, e.g. in public tenders, to document compliance with regulations.
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