The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a document which evaluates how accessible a particular product is according to the Section 508 Standards.
We want everyone who uses Vosaic to feel welcome and find the experience rewarding, so we continuously enhanced to improve and expand accessibility of the system.
Here's current Voluntary Product Assessment Template (VPAT) for compliance with relevant subsections of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Summary Table | ||
| Criteria | Supporting features | Remarks |
| Section 1194.21 Software Applications and Operating Systems | Applicable | Supports with exceptions |
| Section 1194.22 Web-based Internet Information and Applications | Applicable | Supports with exceptions |
| Section 1194.23 Telecommunications Products | Not applicable | - |
| Section 1194.24 Video and Multimedia Products | Not Applicable | |
| Section 1194.25 Self-Contained, Closed Products | Not applicable | - |
| Section 1194.26 Desktop and Portable Computers | Not applicable | - |
| Section 1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria | Applicable | Supports |
| Section 1194.41 Information, Documentation, and Support | Applicable | Supports |
Section 1194.21 Software Applications and Operating | ||
| Criteria | Supporting Features | Remarks |
| (a) When software is designed to run on a system that has a keyboard, product functions shall be executable from a keyboard where the function itself or the result of performing a function can be discerned textually. | Supports with exceptions | The Vosaic user interface is usable with the keyboard, with minor exceptions:
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| (b) Applications shall not disrupt or disable activated features of other products that are identified as accessibility features, where those features are developed and documented according to industry standards. Applications also shall not disrupt or disable activated features of any operating system that are identified as accessibility features where the application programming interface for those accessibility features has been documented by the manufacturer of the operating system and is available to the product developer. | Supports | Vosaic components do not interfere with or deactivate the accessibility features of the operating system. |
| (c) A well-defined on-screen indication of the current focus shall be provided that moves among interactive interface elements as the input focus changes. The focus shall be programmatically exposed so that assistive technology can track focus and focus changes. | Supports with exceptions | Some Vosaic interface elements fail to provide a well-defined on-screen indication of the current focus including: close modal icon, button color picker |
| (d) Sufficient information about a user interface element including the identity, operation and state of the element shall be available to assistive technology. When an image represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must also be available in text. | Supports with exceptions | Vosaic uses label and when necessary appropriate tag attributes to identify interactive elements
Most Vosaic components expose the necessary information to assistive technologies, with some exceptions including the following (not all issues listed).
Missing role state and property information:
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| (e) When bitmap images are used to identify controls, status indicators, or other programmatic elements, the meaning assigned to those images shall be consistent throughout an application's performance. | Not applicable | Bitmap images are not used. |
| (f) Textual information shall be provided through operating system functions for displaying text. The minimum information that shall be made available is text content, text input caret location, and text attributes. | Supports | All text information is correctly exposed in Vosaic |
| (g) Applications shall not override user selected contrast and color selections and other individual display attributes. | Supports with exceptions | Vosaic does not override user settings. |
| (h) When animation is displayed, the information shall be displayable in at least one non-animated presentation mode at the option of the user. | Not applicable | Vosaic has no core features that utilize animation. |
| (i) Color coding shall not be used as the only means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. | Supports | Vosaic does not rely on color coding as the only means of conveying information. Other context is always available. |
| (j) When a product permits a user to adjust color and contrast settings, a variety of color selections capable of producing a range of contrast levels shall be provided. | Not applicable | Vosaic does not permit color themes to be applied to the product itself. |
| (k) Software shall not use flashing or blinking text, objects, or other elements having a flash or blink frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. | Supports | Vosaic has no flashing or blinking text, objects, or other elements with a blink frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. |
| (l) When electronic forms are used, the form shall allow people using assistive technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues. | Supports with exceptions | Most Vosaic form functionality is accessible to assistive technologies |
Section 1194.22 Web-based Internet Information and Applications | ||
| Criteria | Supporting Features | Remarks |
| (a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content). | Supports | Vosaic graphic elements exposed to users have text equivalents. |
| (b) Equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the presentation. | Supports | All multimedia content is uploaded by users, and Vosaic provides an option to automatically transcribe videos. Transcription is synced for closed captioning and is editable by the user. |
| (c) Web pages shall be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup. | Supports | Vosaic does not use color alone to convey information. |
| (d) Documents shall be organized so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet. | Supports | Vosaic is a web-based application (not a document), and therefore the product's user interface depends on the availability of associated style sheets. In addition Vosaic supports standard document types such as PDF which are readable without a style sheet. |
| (e) Redundant text links shall be provided for each active region of a server-side image map. | Supports | Vosaic does not use server-side image maps. |
| (f) Client-side image maps shall be provided instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape. | Supports | Vosaic does not use image maps. |
| (g) Row and column headers shall be identified for data tables. | Supports | Vosaic identifies headers for data tables. |
| (h) Markup shall be used to associate data cells and header cells for data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers. | Not applicable | Vosaic does not use complex data tables. |
| (i) Frames shall be titled with text that facilitates frame identification and navigation. | Not applicable | Vosaic does not use frames. |
| (j) Pages shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. | Supports | Vosaic does not cause screen flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. |
| (k) A text-only page, with equivalent information or functionality, shall be provided to make a web site comply with the provisions of this part, when compliance cannot be accomplished in any other way. The content of the text-only page shall be updated whenever the primary page changes. | Supports | Vosaic is a web-based application (not a document). Vosaic is compliant with the provisions of this part, so a text-only version is not needed. |
| (l) When pages utilize scripting languages to display content, or to create interface elements, the information provided by the script shall be identified with functional text that can be read by assistive technology. | Supports | Vosaic uses modern HTLM5 techniques and WAI-ARIA to provide feedback from interactive elements and to allow functionality with screen readers and keyboard controls. |
| (m) When a web page requires that an applet, plug-in or other application be present on the client system to interpret page content, the page must provide a link to a plug-in or applet that complies with §1194.21(a) through (l). | Supports | Vosaic doesn’t require any plug-ins. Users can also upload their own multimedia content such as PDF files. Users uploading such content are responsible for communicating system or program requirements for accessing the multimedia content. |
| (n) When electronic forms are designed to be completed online, the form shall allow people using assistive technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues. | Supports | All Vosaic form functionality is accessible to assistive technologies. |
| (o) A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links. | Supports | Vosaic provides ‘skip navigation link’ |
| (p) When a timed response is required, the user shall be alerted and given sufficient time to indicate more time is required. | Supports | Vosaic does not require a timed response as part of its core functionality. |
Section 1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria | ||
| Criteria | Supporting Features | Remarks |
| (a) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user vision shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people who are blind or visually impaired shall be provided. | Supports | Vosaic is accessible to assistive technology users. |
| (b) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require visual acuity greater than 20/70 shall be provided in audio and enlarged print output working together or independently, or support for assistive technology used by people who are visually impaired shall be provided. | Supports | The core functionality of Vosaic supports the use of screen magnifiers. It uses em units for font scaling and meets satisfactory contrast levels. |
| (c) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user hearing shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing shall be provided. | Supports | Vosaic does not rely on sound alone to access any of its core functionality. Users can upload their own video content, and are responsible for ensuring its accessibility. We’re in the process of launching automated closed-captioning feature that users can turn on and edit. |
| (d) Where audio information is important for the use of a product, at least one mode of operation and information retrieval shall be provided in an enhanced auditory fashion, or support for assistive hearing devices shall be provided. | Supports | Vosaic does not rely on audio to present information. |
| (e) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user speech shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people with disabilities shall be provided. | Supports | Vosaic does not require user speech. |
| (f) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require fine motor control or simultaneous actions and that is operable with limited reach and strength shall be provided. | Supports with exceptions | Most Vosaic core features can be used from the keyboard alone, with minor exceptions:
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