What is a VPAT and do I need one?

A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is a standardized document, created by the Information Technology Industry Council, that vendors use to report how a software or digital product conforms to accessibility standards like WCAG and Section 508; the completed version is formally called an Accessibility Conformance Report. You need one if you sell or license technology to the U.S. federal government, since agencies require VPATs during procurement — and state governments, universities, and large enterprises increasingly ask for them too. For your own public website's ADA compliance, a VPAT isn't required; courts and the DOJ care about actual WCAG conformance, not the paperwork.