VPAT Reporting Service
I collaborated with accessibility specialists to design and pilot an in-house accessibility conformance reporting service that cut time and cost, and enabled more internal champions to independently produce high-quality VPATs across the organization. Result: reduced VPAT production to 2 days per report with a 700% efficiency gain in time and cost.
Overview
VPATs (Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates) are essential for selling Bentley products, especially to public sector clients. They document how products meet international accessibility standards and are often mandatory in procurement.
The Problem
VPATs were produced by an external agency at high cost per report, which did not scale with demand. VPAT creation required navigating multiple documents, repeated planning, and extensive evidence gathering. Few internal champions were trained or confident enough to produce VPATs independently.
The Goal
Bring VPAT production in-house and replace external consultancy with a structured, scalable service model. Design and validate a playbook with four product teams, standardize the learning and reporting process, and introduce a VPAT report generator that streamlines workflows and reduces documentation overhead.
2 days
production rate per report
700%
efficiency gain in time and cost
23 tests
reduced from 100+ test scope
The Solution
- –A repeatable, educator-led service journey for planning, testing, and reporting.
- –A VPAT generator tool that embeds tests, evidence capture, and reporting into one workflow.
- –Centralised guidance and training designed to grow internal VPAT champions across product teams.
Process
Key process steps across the VPAT service design
VPAT service journey mapping
- ✓Led service journey mapping to define clear stages from preparation to reporting and improvement, based on the live VPAT generator created by accessibility specialists.
- ✓Over three months, designed and validated multiple versions of VPAT generators, running regular workshops to review and refine the workflow.
- ✓Clarified process steps and stakeholder roles, identified friction points in testing and evidence gathering, and co-created solutions to make the VPAT process clearer and faster.
- ✓Supported automated accessibility testing and embedded evidence gathering directly into the reporting workflow to reduce friction and missed documentation.
Accessibility testing guidelines and playbook
- ✓Collaborated with accessibility specialists and UX peers to design scalable testing guidance and validate the playbook in real VPAT scenarios.
- ✓Attended professional accessibility training and became the first Bentley colleague to achieve IAAP CPACC certification.
- ✓Created a collaborative Miro board to share exam preparation resources and testing patterns, helping grow accessibility knowledge across the organization.
SharePoint VPAT guidance hub
- ✓Led the launch of the Accessibility SharePoint site, focusing on the VPAT guidance hub as a single source of truth for champions onboarding to the service.
- ✓Included step-by-step VPAT service journeys, testing guidelines and tools, templates, examples, and links to the VPAT generator.
- ✓Reduced the reliance on 1:1 guidance from accessibility specialists and made it easier for product teams to self-serve and get started.
Reflection
Challenges & Takeaways
Inclusive design is a mindset
Hands-on work with real products reinforced that inclusive design is not just a checklist; it is a mindset that has to be embedded in everyday decisions.
Tie accessibility to business value
Securing product resources for accessibility required tying initiatives directly to business needs and procurement requirements.
Feedback
This is forward thinking and pragmatic.
This seems like a sensible and pragmatic approach to a clear business need.
This service helps involve BIC teams to produce their own VPATs.