Don't Inherit Someone Else's Accessibility Problems.
Before you sign that contract, make sure you're not buying a compliance liability. We help UK organisations evaluate, question, and hold vendors accountable for accessibility.
Your Vendors' Accessibility Barriers Become Your Legal Problem.
Under the Equality Act 2010, your organisation is responsible for ensuring services are accessible — even when you're using third-party software. Public sector bodies face additional requirements under PSBAR 2018 and EN 301 549. Yet procurement teams may not be equipped to evaluate accessibility claims.
Many procurement teams aren't equipped to evaluate accessibility claims. Vendors provide VPATs filled with jargon, make vague promises about "ongoing improvements".
Then the complaints start. A screen reader user can't complete a form. A keyboard-only user is locked out of your booking system. And you discover the software you just signed a three-year contract for is fundamentally inaccessible.
Only 19% of organisations have procurement policies that ensure they only buy accessible digital products.
Accessible Procurement Support for Every Stage.
Whether you're writing a Request for Proposal (RFP) evaluating vendor responses, or reviewing a contract renewal, we provide the specialist accessibility expertise your procurement team needs — without the enterprise price tag.
VPAT & ACR Review
Expert review of vendor VPAT/ACR documentation.
Assessment against WCAG 2.2 AA and EN 301 549 standards.
Identification of high-risk gaps and red flags.
Plain-English summary report for procurement teams.
Recommended follow-up questions for the vendor.
RFP Accessibility Requirements
We help you write clear, specific accessibility requirements for your tenders — requirements that set expectations, enable fair evaluation, and give you contractual leverage if vendors fail to deliver.
Custom accessibility requirements tailored to your procurement.
WCAG 2.2 AA and EN 301 549 compliance language.
Evaluation criteria and scoring guidance.
Accessibility-specific questions for vendor responses.
Template language for Statements of Work and contracts.
Supplier Accessibility Questionnaire
Our supplier questionnaire assesses a vendor's accessibility maturity, processes, and track record to help you choose partners that support your accessibility goals.
Ready-to-use questionnaire template (editable).
Questions covering policy, process, testing, and support.
Scoring framework for evaluating responses.
Guidance on interpreting vendor answers.
Red flags and green flags cheat sheet.
Pre-Purchase Accessibility Assessment
You get an objective assessment of accessibility risks, a clear picture of what you're buying, and the evidence you need to negotiate accessibility commitments into your contract.
Hands-on testing of key user journeys.
Screen reader, keyboard, and magnification testing.
Comparison of actual accessibility against vendor claims.
Risk assessment and recommendation report.
Trusted to Deliver Digital Compliance for the UK’s Leading Institutions.
From councils to universities to consumer champions — we've helped the UK's leading institutions make their digital services accessible.
Accessibility Expertise When You Need It.
We integrate with your existing procurement process — providing specialist input at the stages where accessibility expertise matters most.
Brief Us
Tell us what you're procuring, your timeline, and where you need support. We'll recommend the right level of involvement for your situation.
We Review
Whether it's analysing vendor documentation, testing a product, or drafting requirements, we apply deep accessibility expertise to your specific procurement.
You Decide
We give you clear, actionable information to help you understand the accessibility risks and have the evidence to make confident procurement decisions.
Ongoing Support
Need help with contract details or post-purchase testing? We're here for the conversations that happen after the initial evaluation.
Procurement Support for Organisations That Take Accessibility Seriously.
Our accessible procurement services are designed for UK organisations that need specialist support without enterprise budgets or lengthy consulting engagements.
Public Sector & Local Government
Councils, NHS trusts, and government bodies with PSBAR 2018 obligations and EN 301 549 procurement requirements. We help you meet regulatory duties and demonstrate due diligence.
Higher & Further Education
Universities and colleges procuring learning platforms, student information systems, and digital services. We understand HECVAT IT Accessibility requirements and the accessibility needs of educational technology.
Charities & Nonprofits
Organisations serving beneficiaries with disabilities or receiving public funding with accessibility conditions. We provide proportionate support that respects limited budgets.
Agencies & Digital Teams
Teams recommending or implementing third-party tools who need to verify accessibility before integration. We help you protect your clients — and your reputation.
Procurement Accessibility Requirements in the UK.
UK organisations face multiple overlapping accessibility requirements when procuring technology. We help you navigate the standards and ensure your procurement process addresses each one.
EN 301 549
The European harmonised standard for ICT accessibility, specifically designed for procurement.
Required for UK public sector bodies and increasingly referenced in private sector contracts.
Includes requirements for web, software, hardware, and documentation.
WCAG 2.2 AA
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines is the global technical standard for digital accessibility.
The benchmark against which websites, web applications, and digital documents are evaluated.
Equality Act 2010
UK law requiring service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people.
Applies to digital services and creates legal exposure when procured technology excludes disabled users.
PSBAR 2018
The Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations require UK public sector websites and apps to meet WCAG 2.1 AA and publish accessibility statements.
Extends to procured third-party services.
Trusted by Organisations That Take Accessibility Seriously.
"The audit report was clear, thorough, and actually useful. Not just a list of failures, but practical guidance we could act on immediately. The walkthrough call was invaluable for our developers."
"Fast turnaround, plain English, and they clearly know their stuff. We went from no idea where we stood to full WCAG 2.2 AA compliance in under two months."
What Vendors Don't Tell You About VPATs.
A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is the standard format for documenting product accessibility. Once completed, it's called an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR). But understanding what a VPAT actually tells you (and what it doesn't) requires expertise many procurement teams don't have.
A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) documents how a product conforms to accessibility standards like WCAG, Section 508 (US), or EN 301 549 (EU). It's organised by success criteria, with the vendor declaring conformance levels: Supports, Partially Supports, Does Not Support, or Not Applicable.
Once completed, the document is technically called an ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report) — though most people use "VPAT" to mean both.
The template was originally created for US federal procurement but is now used globally, including by UK organisations evaluating technology purchases.
Not without scrutiny. VPATs are self-reported — the vendor tests their own product and documents their own findings. There's no independent verification, no certification body, and no standard methodology.
This means vendors may overstate compliance, knowing most buyers won't verify. A VPAT is useful information, but it's the start of a conversation, not proof of accessibility.
We see several recurring issues:
Overstated compliance. Vendors claim "Supports" when issues exist, knowing most buyers lack the expertise to challenge them.
Outdated reports. A VPAT from 2022 doesn't reflect the product you're buying in 2026. Features change, bugs are introduced, and accessibility can regress.
Incomplete scope. The VPAT might cover only certain features or user roles, leaving critical functionality untested.
Vague remarks. The "Remarks" column should explain limitations. Empty or generic remarks suggest the vendor hasn't done thorough testing.
Missing methodology. Quality VPATs explain how testing was conducted. If methodology isn't documented, the findings may not be reliable.
Watch for these warning signs:
Every criterion marked "Supports" with no exceptions (unrealistic for any complex product).
Empty or sparse remarks columns.
No methodology section or testing details.
Report date more than 12 months old.
Version number that doesn't match the product you're evaluating.
No contact information for accessibility questions.
Third-party VPAT from an unknown or source without credentials.
A VPAT should be the start of a conversation, not the end. We recommend asking:
When was this VPAT last updated, and does it reflect the current product version?
What testing methodology was used (automated, manual, assistive technology)?
Were users with disabilities involved in testing?
What are your most significant known accessibility issues?
What's your roadmap for addressing accessibility gaps?
How do you handle accessibility bug reports from customers?
Who is responsible for accessibility at your organisation?
Vendors who take accessibility seriously will have clear answers. Evasion or confusion tells you something too.
Get Your Accessibility Strategy.
We assess your current state, identify gaps, and build a roadmap that fits your budget, timeline, and team capacity.
Accessible Procurement FAQs
It's a good start, but VPATs are self-reported documents. Vendors assess their own products and have every incentive to present them favourably. Without expert review, you may not spot overstated claims, outdated testing, or significant gaps hidden in vague remarks.
Think of it like accepting a candidate's self-assessment instead of checking references. The information is useful, but verification matters.
That's exactly why we exist. We provide the specialist expertise so your procurement team doesn't need to become accessibility experts themselves.
We review documentation, flag risks, and summarise findings in plain English — giving your team the information they need without the time investment of learning WCAG criteria.
This is valuable information in itself. A vendor without accessibility documentation either hasn't prioritised accessibility or hasn't been asked for evidence before.
You have options: request they commission one (at their expense), conduct your own pre-purchase assessment, accept the risk and document it, or choose a different vendor. We can help you navigate any of these paths.
Yes. Unlike enterprise accessibility consultancies that require lengthy engagements, we offer focused, proportionate support. A VPAT review or questionnaire template might be all you need — and that's a fraction of the cost of discovering accessibility problems after you've signed a multi-year contract.
Both. Any technology you procure—whether it's a SaaS platform, a custom-built system, or a plugin you're integrating — becomes part of your accessibility obligation. If a screen reader user can't complete their work because of a tool you chose, that's your organisation's problem to solve.
Technically, a VPAT is the blank template; an ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report) is the completed document. In practice, people use "VPAT" to mean both. We'll understand what you mean either way.
Both. This page focuses on helping buyers evaluate vendor accessibility. If you're a vendor needing to create a VPAT for your own product, we offer that service too — see our VPAT & ACR Creation page. [Internal link]
Typically 3-5 working days from receiving the documentation, depending on complexity and our current workload. If you're working to a procurement deadline, let us know and we'll do our best to accommodate.