Ensuring your website is accessible isn’t just about meeting legal requirements. It’s about making your website usable for everyone. It’s about creating an inclusive experience that allows all users to access content and interact with your site without barriers.
An accessibility audit helps you identify barriers that may prevent users with disabilities from fully accessing and engaging with your site. It doesn’t just highlight the issues; it also typically gives you clear, practical steps to make your site fully accessible and compliant.
In this guide, we’ll break down what an accessibility audit is, why it matters, and how you can run one to ensure compliance and inclusivity. We’ll also cover the key benefits of an accessibility audit and address some common questions you might have.
An accessibility audit is a comprehensive review of your website’s design, content, and structure to identify any accessibility barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully using and engaging with it.
These audits evaluate your site against recognised standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), ensuring compliance with legal requirements like the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) or the EAA (European Accessibility Act).
Accessibility audits usually involve a mix of automated tools and expert reviews to evaluate your website against WCAG’s POUR principles. The goal is to check if your site meets the required standards and ensure it’s accessible to everyone.
The core reason accessibility audits matter is that they ensure your website is usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. By making your site accessible, you broaden your audience and demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity.
Note:
According to a 2023 study by the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 1 in 6 people worldwide have some form of disability that affects their ability to use websites as intended.
Accessibility audits are also essential for meeting legal requirements and avoiding the risk of lawsuits. High-profile cases, like the lawsuit against Domino’s Pizza in 2019, show the importance of maintaining an accessible website.
In addition, addressing accessibility issues can boost your SEO and improve site performance. By enhancing usability, not just for people with disabilities but for all visitors, you create a better overall user experience, which reduces bounce rates and improves conversions.
Begin by using an automated accessibility checker tool to catch common issues such as missing alt text, improper heading structures, and colour contrast problems. This step is quick and sets a strong foundation for further review.
One tool you can consider for automated testing is WebYes. It scans your website for WCAG compliance and points out areas that need a manual review. You can then share the report with an accessibility expert, making the whole process simple and hassle-free.
Here is how you can run an accessibility audit using WebYes:
It’s important to note that WebYes, like all automated audit tools, can not catch all WCAG violations. Consequently, it can’t make your website fully WCAG compliant. However, WebYes does flag issues that need manual review, requiring some expert involvement to fully address them.
A manual audit is essential to identify complex issues that automated tools can miss, like keyboard navigation difficulties and unclear link text. It ensures your website meets usability standards for people with disabilities.
To do manual testing, you need to hire an accessibility expert who can assess your website for a variety of potential barriers. This thorough audit helps catch issues missed by automated scans, providing a more complete understanding of your site’s accessibility.
You can take it a step further by involving users with disabilities in your audit. Nothing compares to real-world feedback from individuals who rely on assistive technology every day. This can highlight issues you might not have considered.
You can connect with disabled users for testing through online communities, forums, or organisations focused on accessibility and disability advocacy. Platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit, or local non-profits can help you find individuals interested in participating in user testing.
Ensuring your website is accessible starts with addressing some fundamental issues that can greatly improve the user experience for people with disabilities. Here are a few simple fixes that can make a significant difference:
<header>, <article>, and <footer>, helps screen readers and assistive technologies understand the structure and purpose of your content.While these are small issues, they require immediate attention. By taking care of these basic issues, you’re not only improving accessibility but also creating a more inclusive and user-friendly experience for everyone.
The costs of an accessibility audit depend on several factors, including website size, complexity, audit approach (manual or automated), and the level of compliance you need to achieve (e.g., WCAG A, AA, AAA).
On average, manual accessibility audits cost $45 per document and $75 per page, though prices can vary depending on the complexity and specific requirements of the content being audited. Factors like the agency’s expertise can also influence the final cost.
Automated accessibility audits are far more affordable than manual ones. With WebYes, you can audit 10 webpages for free, covering accessibility, SEO, performance, and quality, or run a full website audit for under $50.
As mentioned earlier, some manual involvement is still required after using automated tools like WebYes to ensure a thorough audit. However, WebYes highlights issues that require manual review, minimising the need for a full manual audit and saving you money.
How often should you run an accessibility audit?
It’s recommended to run an accessibility audit every quarter to maintain ongoing compliance. However, certain situations may require audits outside this schedule. Check out our guide, “How Often Should You Audit Your Website,” for more details.
What is the difference between ADA and WCAG?
The ADA is a U.S. law mandating accessibility. WCAG provides global technical guidelines to ensure web content is accessible, often used to meet ADA compliance.
What are the consequences of not being compliant?
Failing to comply with laws like the ADA and EAA can result in legal penalties and harm your brand’s reputation. For businesses in the EU, explore our “EAA Fines and Penalties“ guide to understand the full impact of non-compliance.
Ensure your website is fully accessible, compliant, and optimised for all users by running a thorough audit today. Don’t miss the opportunity to improve user experience, reach a wider audience, boost SEO, and protect your business from legal risks.
WebYes streamlines the accessibility audit process by quickly detecting WCAG violations and listing the issues that need attention. With WebYes, ensuring compliance and improving accessibility is fast, efficient, and affordable.
By using WebYes, you can improve user experience for all visitors, stay ahead of legal requirements, and make your site accessible to a wider audience. Get started now and make accessibility a priority for your website.
Article by
Melwyn holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and has been writing professionally for over 4 years. He has a strong background in SEO and is certified in web accessibility from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). When he's not writing about website optimisation, you can find him enjoying a game of FIFA or exploring the open world of GTA.
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