Audit versus VPAT
An audit finds the barriers. A VPAT reports them. Most teams need both, in that order.
The audit works inward
An accessibility audit tests your product and lists every barrier with its severity, criterion, steps to reproduce and fix. Its reader is your own team. It answers: what is broken, and what do we fix first.
The VPAT speaks outward
A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template), completed as an ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report), reports conformance per criterion for buyers. Its reader is procurement. It answers: how does this product conform, and where is the evidence.
The order that works
Audit first, then the report. Each ACR row needs test evidence, and the audit produces it. Teams that skip the audit end up with ratings they cannot defend. After fixes, a retest keeps both documents current.