Home › SaaS accessibility
SaaS accessibility: WCAG, VPATs, and closing enterprise deals
For B2B software, accessibility isn't just legal risk, it's a procurement gate. No VPAT, no enterprise deal.
The deal blocker: enterprise, university and public sector procurement teams ask for a VPAT and evidence of WCAG 2.1 AA conformance before signing. If your SaaS can't produce one, you lose the deal to a competitor who can. Accessibility is a revenue issue, not just a compliance one.
What accessibility means for a web app
- Every interactive control has an accessible name: icon only buttons, toggles and menu items need labels a screen reader can announce.
- Keyboard operability everywhere: modals, dropdowns, data tables and drag and drop must work without a mouse, and focus must be managed (no keyboard traps).
- ARIA for custom widgets: if you build your own tabs, comboboxes or dialogs, they need correct roles and states so assistive tech understands them.
- Contrast that survives your design system: brand palettes and disabled states are common WCAG contrast failures. Check them with our contrast checker.
- Status messages announced: toasts, validation and live updates need
aria-liveso non visual users aren't left behind.
VPAT and ACR: what buyers actually receive
The VPAT is a template. You fill it in to produce an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), which is the document a buyer reads. Section508.gov describes the ACR as the way federal buyers assess a product's accessibility during market research and proposal evaluation, and private sector procurement teams have copied the practice.
The template is published by the Information Technology Industry Council. The current version (2.5Rev, April 2025) comes in four editions:
- 508 for the Revised Section 508 Standards, which US federal agencies buy against.
- EU for EN 301 549, the European ICT standard.
- WCAG for the WCAG 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2 success criteria.
- INT, which combines all three. Most SaaS teams selling on both sides of the Atlantic pick this one.
Each criterion gets a conformance level (supports, partially supports, does not support, not applicable) and remarks. Reviewers notice when a report claims "supports" across the board for an app with custom data grids, so honest remarks with a fix timeline read better than a perfect score.
Getting audit ready
Start by scanning your key logged in screens against WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 to set a baseline and clear the automatable issues (contrast, names, roles). Then test the interactive components by hand. Track it against the ADA compliance checklist and, if you sell into US government, Section 508. Publish a public statement alongside the report; our free accessibility statement generator writes one with a contact and your known limitations.
Why an overlay won't pass procurement
Some vendors try to shortcut this with an overlay widget. It doesn't work for a SaaS product: reviewers test the app itself, and the overlay doesn't change your components. Our comparison of accessiBe alternatives explains what overlays can't fix and what the FTC's $1 million order against accessiBe barred it from claiming.
Selling into the EU?
The European Accessibility Act makes accessibility mandatory for many digital products and services from June 2025, one more reason to get ahead of it now.
Scan your app free
AdaClear gives you a repeatable WCAG scan you can run every release, a prioritized fix list, and continuous monitoring so regressions don't slip into production between audits. The dated reports are evidence you can draw on when you write your ACR. Start below.
Enter your site for an instant ADA and WCAG scan: score and top issues. No overlay, no signup.
Frequently asked questions
What is a VPAT and does my SaaS need one?
A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is the template you fill in to produce an Accessibility Conformance Report, a document stating how your product conforms to standards like WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508. Enterprise, education and government buyers routinely ask for one in procurement, so B2B SaaS vendors need one to close those deals.
Which VPAT edition should I use?
The template is published by the Information Technology Industry Council in four editions: 508 for US federal buyers, EU for EN 301 549, WCAG for the WCAG 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2 criteria, and INT, which combines all three. If you sell in both the US and Europe, INT saves you maintaining separate reports.
How is accessibility different for a web app vs a marketing site?
Web apps have complex, dynamic UI (custom widgets, modals, data grids, real time updates) that need ARIA roles and keyboard support that a static site doesn't. Automated scanning catches the baseline (contrast, labels, names), then you test the interactive components by hand.
Can an accessibility overlay widget get my SaaS through procurement?
No. Procurement reviewers and their auditors test the product itself, and an overlay does not change your code. The FTC ordered one overlay vendor to pay $1 million in January 2025 over claims that its widget made sites WCAG compliant. Fix the components and document the result in your report instead.
Sources
- Section508.gov, Accessibility Conformance Reports (ACR): section508.gov
- Information Technology Industry Council, VPAT (version 2.5Rev, four editions): itic.org
- FTC press release, 3 January 2025, order requiring accessiBe to pay $1 million: ftc.gov