Why is WCAG Different From The ADA?

What Is The WCAG?

The term “WCAG” stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which outline how to make web content more accessible to both older individuals who are aging as well as people with disabilities. It offers a standard or specification for universally accessible digital content.

Leading VPAT testing experts assert that WCAG lays the groundwork for a new degree of global standards in web accessibility. Web users in numerous nations can transition from a varied set of practices to a uniform approach to web accessibility, courtesy of the standards’ useful and well-documented protocols.

Web content refers to information on a web page, website, or web application that comprises scripts or markup that, among other things, define a website’s structure and layout as well as natural information like text, images, and sounds.

Is WCAG The Same As A VPAT?

During VPAT audit activities using WCAG, I frequently get questioned about whether a voluntary product accessibility template (VPAT) and WCAG are the same. The simple answer to this is “no.” VPAT and WCAG are not the same thing.

A VPAT is a predefined model document usually completed by a vendor or manufacturer of an information and communication technology (ICT) product or service to show how well the product or service complies with prescribed accessibility standards or guidelines.

Information from WCAG may be included in VPAT, but not the other way around. The WCAG information is included in each of the VPAT editions, including the Section 508 VPAT, the European Union (EU) VPAT, the WCAG VPAT, and the International (INT) VPAT.

What Is An ADA VPAT?

I frequently receive inquiries about what an ADA VPAT is while working on VPAT audit assignments. This typically happens when I cite the VPAT template editions stated above, which obviously do not include an ADA VPAT.

For starters, the ADA is an acronym for the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is a civil rights law that forbids discrimination against people with disabilities in all spheres of public life, including employment, education, transportation, and any other public and private venues that are accessible to the general public. The ADA seeks to guarantee that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

Although the phrase “ADA VPAT” refers to no particular version of the VPAT form, you’ll often hear it used in connection with accessibility issues because the use of VPATs is fast moving from the Section 508 or public sector into the ADA or commercial space.

This transformation is being driven by a variety of situations, including: sellers of third-party components or web-based applications and systems; website owners who want to assess the level of accessibility of their own websites or apps and the resulting legal or brand exposure; buyers of third-party components for vital website functions; and businesses buying web-based applications or systems.

WCAG vs. ADA

The WCAG is crucial for achieving ADA compliance. For instance, if you run a business that relies on third-party plugins or widgets on your website, you should be aware of how accessible such components are. This helps you weigh the cost of running the website, the utility of the website, and the potential legal risk involved with using third-party parts. The WCAG and ADA meet at that point.

It is crucial for businesses to design their VPAT certification so that it incorporates both the ADA and WCAG VPAT accessibility criteria if they want to prevent lawsuits related to ADA breaches and increase their chances of having their ICT products and services considered by general consumers.

Although there are differences between the ADA and the WCAG, the information they both include is frequently used in order to improve the accessibility of ICT products and services through the VPAT.

Why WCAG Is Different From The ADA

The WCAG differs from the ADA in that it is an international standard, whereas the ADA is an American civil rights law. Moreover, the ADA is divided into five different sections known as titles, whereas the WCAG is organized by four key principles, which specify that content must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR).

The most distinguishing reason why WCAG differs from the ADA is that while the ADA is restricted to U.S. jurisdiction, WCAG is the most referenced set of standards in website accessibility lawsuits and is universally considered the best way to achieve accessibility.

Need A VPAT Audit That Is Founded On WCAG And The ADA Requirements?

By getting your ICT products or services VPAT-certified based on both the WCAG and ADA criteria, you can accomplish two goals at once: being ADA and WCAG compliant.

For this, you can check out the essential points to concentrate on in a finished WCAG VPAT document example or use automated WCAG VPAT testing tools for your websites and web-based applications. A correctly completed WCAG ADA VPAT 2.4 example can help you appreciate the accessibility issues that you should concentrate on to avoid ADA-related lawsuits while increasing your odds of securing contracts to supply ICT products and services to public institutions.

Get a quote for a Quick WCAG ADA VPAT Test Today by calling a VPAT Consultant at (626) 486-2201.