Learning how to run a web accessibility audit is one of the most important things you can do to make sure you’re building an inclusive product. It can be complicated (and costly) to learn where to start, though.
When starting my search, I found dozens of companies and automated tools offering to find every last accessibility error on my website — and I felt overwhelmed, to say the least.
However, after diving into the research and speaking with experts, I feel more equipped to take some practical steps in running an accessibility audit and improving the technical elements on my site. Here’s what I’ve learned so far and how you can apply these principles to your own business.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Web Accessibility Audit?
- Why Website Accessibility Audits Matter
- When Should You Run an Accessibility Audit?
- Types of Web Accessibility Audits
- How to Conduct a Web Accessibility Audit
- What to Look for During Your Audit
- Running My Own Accessibility Audit
What Is a Web Accessibility Audit?
Web accessibility audits are evaluations of an organization’s digital products and services. These audits seek to make digital products accessible to users with disabilities in need of accommodations. Audits highlight where there may be accessibility challenges and offer suggestions for improvement.
Why Website Accessibility Audits Matter
According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 6 people worldwide experience significant disability. The Pew Research Center found that 75% of people with disabilities use the internet daily in the U.S. alone.
You want to provide an inclusive experience for your large audience because it’s the right thing to do. But digital accessibility also benefits businesses, boosting revenues and customer satisfaction, according to a survey of 1,000 decision-makers and product specialists.
Here are some of the top reasons that you should conduct a web accessibility audit.
Helps comply with legal requirements.
There are increasing litigation and regulations set in place that require accessibility. The ADA and Section 508 (a 1986 amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) have these requirements. Your legal team can highlight the financial risks of a lawsuit.
In 2023 alone, over 4,600 accessibility lawsuits were reported. An audit can help you mitigate these risks and improve your user experience.
The main precedent for these cases is the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) versus Target. The lawsuit alleged that the business giant violated the California Unruh Civil Rights Act and the ADA fair treatment for disabilities provision. The case highlighted the importance of fair treatment for all disability types.
Target eventually settled with a $6 million lawsuit. Target also committed to monitoring the accessibility of their stores by the NFB for three years. The company also trained web designers to include accessibility features and fair treatment.
Ensures equal access for all users.
With that being said, it's not all about compliance. A considerable portion of the world’s population has a disability. Auditing your website and digital products will help you improve your accessibility so you can serve more clients.
According to the WHO, 15% of the world’s population has a disability, while 26% of the U.S. population does. If you want to serve all people who come looking to do business with you, it’s imperative to make sure your online assets are inclusive.
Enhances SEO and site performance.
Web accessibility is not only important for people with disabilities, but it also has many benefits for search engine optimization (SEO). With web accessibility in mind, search engine crawlers can more easily read and understand the content on your site. This is crucial for ranking well in search results.
Accessible websites typically have descriptive alt tags, title tags, and headings, which help search engines understand the purpose and relevance of the content. Additionally, accessibility features such as transcripts and video captions can provide keyword-rich content that can boost SEO.
When Should You Run an Accessibility Audit?
The earlier, the better. If you are just establishing yourself in the webspace or even planning a redesign, take the opportunity to run an audit. Not only will you ensure equality for all users, but you can also point out glaring issues that may have been missed in the initial design.
Here are some common times it makes sense to run an accessibility audit:
- During website development.
- After major updates or redesigns.
- Periodically (e.g., annually) for existing sites.
- Before launching a new website.
- When receiving accessibility complaints.
Avram Sand is the Founder and Principal of Access Armada, an organization that helps businesses, governments, and companies of all sizes make quick and measurable progress toward ADA compliance. He tells me that most organizations consider accessibility too late:
“By the time most teams consider accessibility, it‘s already late in the game when conformance requires serious testing and rework,” he said. “The sites where we’ve been most successful in helping drive accessible outcomes are where we ‘shift left’ and incorporate accessibility from the start. That means making sure accessibility defects are not baked into the design and providing upfront guidance for developers on coding those designs following best practices.”
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Website Accessibility Checklist
This checklist will help you make the following more accessible on your website:
- Web Pages
- Navigation
- Video & Media
- And More!
Download Free
All fields are required.
By incorporating these principles early on, you can make sure that you have a product that can be fully enjoyed by all of your customers or website visitors – and you’ll avoid more costly problems later down the line.
Types of Web Accessibility Audits
There are two main types of digital accessibility audits you should focus on:
- Manual accessibility.
- Automated accessibility.
I'll explore each below.
Manual Accessibility Audits
These audits can be the most beneficial, as they are the more thorough of the two. Manual access audits give you the ability to test compatibility for keyboards, screen readers, and devices alike. You can get an in-depth look into the format of your current organization’s page.
The only drawback is that the manual audit requires a specialist, which can be costly. But considering the repercussions of an inaccessible website, we think the expense is justified.
Automated Accessibility Audits
The automated audit is exactly how it sounds: automated. Basically, you use a service to plug in your organization’s web information. This seven then scans your site for potential risks.
These audits are less thorough, so if Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) compliance is what you're aiming for, an automated audit won’t be enough on its own.
Alternatively, you can do a hybrid web audit that combines the automated functions with a specialist reviewing the progress and checking for at-risk areas.
How to Conduct a Web Accessibility Audit
Web accessibility is crucial for ensuring that everyone, including people with disabilities, can use your website effectively. The best way to check your site is to conduct an audit.
I spoke with a few experts in the field who shared their process for conducting a website accessibility audit with me. To help you do the same, I’ll also share some practical tips for conducting your own audit — and what tools I recommend in the process.
1. Review technical elements of your site (navigation, alt text, contrast, headings, etc.).
You’ll want to start with a thorough review of all the technical elements of your site that impact a user’s experience. Automated tools can help you detect obvious problems and highlight which elements don’t meet WCAG standards.
This includes:
- Site structure. Tools like WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool or axe DevTools can help you get an initial overview of potential issues.
- Keyboard navigation. Test your site's navigation using only a keyboard. Ensure all interactive elements are reachable and operable without a mouse.
- Color contrast. Use tools like the WebAIM Color Contrast Checker to ensure text has sufficient contrast against its background for readability.
- Alt text. Check that all images have appropriate and descriptive alt text. Tools like the alt text tester in WAVE can help identify missing or inadequate alt text.
- Heading structure. Use the WAVE tool or browser developer tools to review your heading structure. Make sure it's logical and hierarchical.
- Page titles and breadcrumbs. Ensure each page has a unique, descriptive title, and the language is properly set in the HTML.
Tools I recommend:
2. Conduct a manual review.
While automatic tools are helpful for getting a first look at potential issues, you could miss some major issues without conducting a manual assessment as well.
By some estimates, only 30-50% of accessibility problems can be automatically identified (or corrected) – meaning more than half of accessibility issues need to be reviewed manually.
Equalize Digital, for example, offers a handy Accessibility Checker plug-in tool. However, they make a clear distinction between websites that are 100% passed and 100% accessible.
As they explain, manual testing will include elements like:
- Navigating through the website with only a keyboard to ensure that all content can be accessed, used, and engaged with by a user who cannot use a mouse.
- Watching embedded media to check for the presence and accuracy of closed captions and that no rapid flashing is present.
- Using the website on multiple device sizes and at multiple resolutions to ensure that it is just as easy to use on a phone as on a desktop computer and can be used if significantly zoomed in.
3. Use screen readers to gain a user's perspective on your website.
Screen readers work by reading your page content aloud so you can hear it. Free programs such as JAWS or NVDA can identify flaws with content organization and navigation that sighted users may miss. These tools will help you experience your site as a visually impaired user would.
I also recommend using the NVDA test document to see whether your website or service is likely to work using common functions of the NVDA screenreader.
Tools I recommend:
- JAWS (Job Access With Speech). JAWS is a paid screen reader, so it may not be where you want to start. However, it is popular with blind and visually impaired users, so it would be good to fit into your testing plan if your budget allows.
- NVDA. NVDA is a free, open-source screen reader that you can download and use on your PC. This is the preferred screen reader for testing, as most blind people are Windows users.
- Apple VoiceOver. If you have a Mac, VoiceOver is built into your computer and is a great place to start, but it is not the preferred screen reader for blind desktop users.
4. Get feedback from customers with disabilities.
Mimi Nguyen, founder of Cafely, has seen firsthand how crucial web accessibility is as both an ecommerce co-founder and owner directly engaged in digital marketing. You can test all the tools in the world, but you’ll be looking at an incomplete review until you involve actual users in your audit process.
Nguyen tells me that getting feedback from customers is the most accurate test for accessibility. Her team conducts routine surveys to see if customers have challenges navigating their website.
“We identify which of those challenges root from accessibility issues. A few months ago we found that although our checkout system was aesthetically pleasing, it was not screen reader-friendly,” she said.
Website Accessibility Checklist
This checklist will help you make the following more accessible on your website:
- Web Pages
- Navigation
- Video & Media
- And More!
Download Free
All fields are required.
5. Prioritize and apply fixes in a systematic manner.
To ensure that you remain compliant with accessibility standards, you need systems in place. This includes systems for prioritizing and applying fixes as well as maintaining ongoing updates and maintenance.
Shawn Plummer, CEO of The Annuity Expert, says that this last tip helps the team ensure continuous compliance. He recommends making a roadmap depending on the severity and impact of the issues highlighted.
What to Do with Your Results
After completing your audit, you can take some actionable steps. Here’s what I’d recommend based on the expert advice I’ve learned:
- Prioritize issues based on severity and impact.
- Create a remediation plan with specific tasks and deadlines.
- Address high-priority issues first.
- Re-test after making changes to ensure they've resolved the issues.
- Consider hiring an accessibility expert for a professional audit.
- Implement ongoing accessibility checks in your development process.
What to Look for During Your Audit
During your audit, you want to focus on WCAG compliance, making sure your organization‘s digital services fit those guidelines. Pay attention to the detailed explanations of the tool you’ve selected. When your audit is complete, you can maintain accessibility by assigning roles within your organization dedicated to these standards.
Focusing on the detailed recommendations made by your audit tool will also go a long way. Areas that need the most improvement should be your first focus. The audit will provide you with a clear picture of what you need to do to reach compliance standards.
Running My Own Accessibility Audit
After reviewing these tips, I wanted to run my own website through an accessibility audit to see how it stacked up. The website is for my ghostwriting business, Cromwell Creative Co.
As someone who’s worked closely with digital content, I consider myself quite savvy when it comes to SEO. However, when trying to improve my site’s accessibility, I found a lot of areas where I could add more accessible features. (You can learn more about my process in this article — think of it as a web accessibility audit example.)
What I learned: There are always areas for improvement! After examining my website from a different perspective, I found many opportunities where I could detail better alt text, improve the flow and structure of the text elements, and adjust the visual design and color contrast.
Overall, I found Squarespace (my hosting platform) to be a bit more tricky when it came to tweaking some of the technical elements. It was incredibly simple to update SEO and alt text features as well as the overall content and design but much harder to figure out how I could improve things like navigation and HTML.
Getting Started with Accessibility Audits
Being inclusive is a must for businesses today. Not only is it required by law, but it also helps you reach and serve more clients.
In conducting my own accessibility audit, I’ve learned so much about areas I can improve my website to make sure more users can interact with the content. I highly recommend walking through your own manual review to see the issues firsthand and better understand how you might address them.
The most important takeaways:
- Widget tools and overlays do not equal compliance.
- Even the best automatic accessibility check will miss things, so conducting a manual review is essential.
- Always seek feedback from users with disabilities, as this is the most important part of conducting an audit.
- Put in the extra effort to create a meaningful experience from the ground up before it’s too late and you’re worrying about compliance issues.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in July 2023 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
Website Accessibility Checklist
This checklist will help you make the following more accessible on your website:
- Web Pages
- Navigation
- Video & Media
- And More!
Download Free
All fields are required.
