# VPAT for accessibility documentation

**URL:** <https://discourse.processing.org/t/vpat-for-accessibility-documentation/47819>\
**Category:** Teaching\
**Created:** [January 30, 2026, 10:21pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/vpat-for-accessibility-documentation/47819 "2026-01-30T22:21:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dennymingus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7993a0/32.png) [@dennymingus](https://discourse.processing.org/u/dennymingus)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 10:21pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/vpat-for-accessibility-documentation/47819/1 "2026-01-30T22:21:48Z")

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I see there’s a thread from 2019 about VPAT. Starting a new thread since there are new developments.

The US DOJ recently updated it’s interpretation of Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act to cover digital technologies.

[Accessibility Conformance Report/Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) | Section508.gov](https://www.section508.gov/sell/acr-vpat-faq/)

State institutions are requiring documentation of digital accessibility in the form a VPAT for products used by state agencies including those used by public universities for teaching.

Would you it possible to provide a VPAT and make any changes necessary to the product to make it accessilble?

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**Author:** ![sableraph](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/sableraph/32/251_2.png) [@sableraph](https://discourse.processing.org/u/sableraph)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 10:31am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/vpat-for-accessibility-documentation/47819/2 "2026-01-31T10:31:35Z")

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Hi @dennymingus and thanks for your question.

Just to make sure I understand: which product are you referring to here? The Processing editor (PDE), the p5.js web editor ([editor.p5js.org](http://editor.p5js.org)), or something else in the Processing ecosystem?

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**Author:** ![dennymingus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7993a0/32.png) [@dennymingus](https://discourse.processing.org/u/dennymingus)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 2:24pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/vpat-for-accessibility-documentation/47819/3 "2026-02-02T14:24:12Z")

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> [@sableraph](#):
>
> Processing editor (PDE),

I’m referring to the PDE that runs on MacOS and Windows. I know the VPAT uses terminology from web accessibility, but our organization is treating those documents as if they cover desktop applications as well.

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**Author:** ![sableraph](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/sableraph/32/251_2.png) [@sableraph](https://discourse.processing.org/u/sableraph)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 1:18pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/vpat-for-accessibility-documentation/47819/4 "2026-02-03T13:18:45Z")

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Thanks for the clarification,

Here is a link to a [VPAT for Processing (Java) 4.4.4](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LzuA5bFQbA0yziM7F9X6ouEvfXSzCOu3/view).

Please note that this is a self assessment, and was not performed by accessibility specialists. It should not be considered a legally binding claim of compliance.

We continuously work on making Processing more accessible. In Processing 4.5.2, we introduced accessibility improvements to the Preferences and Welcome screens. These changes are described in [this blog post](https://medium.com/@ProcessingOrg/processing-4-5-1-is-officially-out-1bf4e37ccc05).

If you or some of your students are interested in contributing to this accessibility work, feel free to get in touch with us on [https://discord.processing.org](https://discord.processing.org) or write to [hello@processingfoundation.org](mailto:hello@processingfoundation.org).

If you have further questions or need additional information, just let me know.

Raphaël de Courville  
Processing Community Lead  
Processing Foundation

_PS: **Processing is a Free and Open Source project** developed with volunteer contributors, and supported by the non-profit Processing Foundation (501(c)(3)). To sustain this work, we rely on the support of individuals and institutions that use Processing. **This is entirely optional** , but if your school district or organization is in a position to **purchase licenses** , **become a sponsor** , or **make a donation** to support Processing’s development, please get in touch at [give@processingfoundation.org](mailto:give@processingfoundation.org)._

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**Author:** ![dennymingus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7993a0/32.png) [@dennymingus](https://discourse.processing.org/u/dennymingus)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 2:09pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/vpat-for-accessibility-documentation/47819/5 "2026-02-03T14:09:23Z")

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Raphaël,

Thank you for the quick response. This is what I was looking for.