An Accessibility Conformance Report tells a procurement team how a digital product measures against accessibility standards. It lists each applicable success criterion and marks whether the product supports it, partially supports it, or does not support it. For a buyer, this is the document that turns a vendor’s accessibility claims into something reviewable.
Procurement teams use the ACR to compare vendors on equal footing. The report shows which WCAG version and conformance level the product was evaluated against, what evaluation methods were used, and any remarks that explain partial support. A well-prepared ACR with detailed remarks signals that the vendor took the evaluation seriously. A sparse ACR with vague language signals the opposite.
The report also helps legal and compliance reviewers confirm whether a product meets obligations tied to Section 508, ADA Title II, or EN 301 549. Different VPAT editions address different standards, so the edition itself tells the team which regulatory framework the evaluation covers. For organizations buying software at scale, the ACR becomes part of the contract record, documenting what was promised at the point of purchase.
What an ACR does not tell a procurement team is whether the product will work for every user in every context. It reflects the state of the product at the time of evaluation. That is why many buyers ask for the underlying audit report alongside the ACR, and why they request updated documentation after major product releases.