Definition: An accessibility audit is a structured technical and experiential evaluation of a website, application, or digital product to identify barriers that prevent users with disabilities from accessing, navigating, or understanding its content. The audit measures conformance against recognised standards — primarily WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 at Level AA — using a combination of automated testing tools, manual expert review, and assistive technology testing.
Why It Matters: An accessibility audit provides the foundation for any accessibility improvement programme. Without an audit, organisations do not know which specific barriers exist, how severe they are, or where to prioritise remediation effort and investment. For businesses facing an accessibility lawsuit or complaint — which have increased dramatically in the US since 2017 — an audit creates a documented record of good-faith efforts to address accessibility. For organisations proactively building accessible websites, an audit at launch (and periodically thereafter) ensures that standards are met and maintained as content and functionality evolve. Accessibility audits also typically uncover usability issues that improve the experience for all users, not just those with disabilities.
How It Works: A professional accessibility audit follows a defined methodology. Automated scanning (using tools like Axe, WAVE, or Deque’s accessibility checker) identifies a subset of WCAG violations — typically 30–40% of actual issues. Manual expert review covers the remaining issues that require human judgement: keyboard navigation testing, logical heading structure assessment, meaningful link text evaluation, form label and error message review, and colour contrast verification for custom UI components. Assistive technology testing (navigating the site using JAWS, NVDA, or VoiceOver screen readers) validates real-world usability. Findings are documented in an audit report that lists each issue, its WCAG success criterion, severity level (critical, major, minor), affected pages, and specific remediation guidance. Issues are prioritised by impact — critical barriers that block access entirely are addressed before minor enhancements.
Related: WCAG, ADA Website Compliance, Section 508, Screen Reader, Remediation