In a super digitalized world like today’s, digital products being accessible to only a certain population of the world is discriminatory. It is the ethical responsibility of corporations to make their digital products accessible to everyone despite their abilities. It is also mandated by law to have all digital products to a certain level of accessibility. Some examples of these laws are WCAG ADA, etc. Here, the VPAT certifications enhance the product’s marketability and reach.

This article will first describe a VPAT evaluation in brief. The article will further discuss the importance of VPAT in enhancing the product’s marketability and compliance.

What is a VPAT certification?

A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template certification is like a document that explains the accessibility levels of a product in detail. A company can use this template to showcase their product’s accessibility to everyone. This template has been accepted internationally for defining the product’s accessibility standards.

The main guidelines the VPAT audit offering the dedicated certifications displays are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and the Americans with Disabilities Act set by the Rehabilitation Act. Every big and small company must have this accessibility certification for each and every digital product, whether it is software, electronic products, or online available content/media.

Ways in which Certification enhances Product’s Marketability and Compliance

Following are some of the ways through which Voluntary Product Accessibility Template certification enhances a product’s marketability and compliance:

Compliance with laws

VPAT is basically a document stating the accessibility of a product with regard to the accessibility laws and guidelines set by law. These guidelines were given in the Rehabilitation Act under the title of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Hence, if a company gets a VPAT for a digital product, it automatically means that every product is in compliance with the accessibility laws.

Avoid legal issues

Compliance with the accessibility laws is required by law. If it is found that any of your digital products are not in compliance with WCAG or ADA guidelines, legal action can be taken against your company. This will result in a Class Action Lawsuit being filed against you.

A company can lose a hefty amount of money due to this. Hence, having a VPAT helps avoid these lawsuits and saves the company a lot of money.

Reach a broader audience

A VPAT certification requires accessibility feature incorporation. If you want a VPAT certification for your product, your product needs to be accessible to everyone despite their abilities. There are more than 15% of the people worldwide living with some sort of disability. Having a VPAT or having your product in compliance with accessible laws opens up the opportunity for 1.3 billion people to use your product.

This is a way of telling your customers that the product is accessible to everyone. Hence, in a way, VPAT helps reach a broader audience. The best part of this broader audience reach is that the majority of your competitors are missing on harnessing the potential of this 15% audience.

Building a positive brand reputation and gaining customer loyalty

Having a VPAT audit implies a commitment to providing accessible digital products and content. This builds a positive brand reputation in the market. This will make the customers see your brand in a positive light. This will in turn attract new customers and help earn their customer loyalty too.

People want to make a difference in any and every way possible. Supporting a brand that is an advocate for accessibility also means that it supports this cause. Hence, a VPAT helps in earning and keeping customers loyal.

Enhancing user experience

While making some digital products or content accessible, certain changes and modifications are made. The modifications made to ensure accessibility also make the overall content easy to use.

Making the interface easy to navigate and providing subtitles or audio descriptions makes an average person's experience better. In a way, being able to gain a VPAT certification makes the overall user experience better too.

Make a name for yourself in the market

In the overcrowded market, it is difficult to set yourself apart. With a VPAT certification, you can show your commitment to providing accessibility. This will help show the customers that you understand and value every customer.

Being an advocate of accessibility in this digital age can help you stand out. This will also provide an advantage over your competitors with the key differentiating factor.

Create an innovative environment

Committing to providing accessibility opens the door to more innovations. Since providing accessibility is an ongoing process, it requires continuous learning. This culture of continuous learning and dealing with worldwide issues fosters an innovative environment.

Such an environment is set to not only bring the creative ideas of existing employees but also attract other talented workers

Parting thoughts

VPAT certification for the digital product of the businesses can really boost sales and increase profit. From attracting new customers and keeping them by building customer loyalty, a VPAT certification also helps in reaching a broader audience.

This certification will also save money by helping the company avoid hefty lawsuits. In a way, it can be said that a VPAT is very useful in today’s digital world.