How to Conduct an Accessibility Audit for Your Website: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ensuring your website is accessible to all users is not just a considerate approach to web design but a legal necessity in many regions. An accessibility audit is a thorough review of how well your website supports the needs of users with disabilities. The goal is to identify and fix any barriers that might prevent access to your site’s content. By following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), you can ensure that your site is accessible to a wider audience, including those with impairments affecting their vision, hearing, mobility, and cognitive abilities.

Conducting an accessibility audit involves examining various aspects of your website, from its structure and content to its navigation and media usage. Technical analysis is required to test web elements against the latest standards, and it’s important to consider how your content is accessed across different devices. It’s also about understanding the user experience for those with disabilities, which may involve simulating the use of assistive technologies such as screen readers or keyboard-only navigation. The findings of your audit will help create a more inclusive environment and improve the overall user experience.

Recognising Legal Obligations and Standards

When embarking on the journey to ensure website accessibility, it’s imperative to comprehend the legal framework and standards that dictate what constitutes an accessible website. This understanding is crucial to fulfilling civil rights commitments and avoiding legal repercussions.

Understanding WCAG and ADA Requirements

The web content accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide a technical standard for web content accessibility that reflects the needs of individuals, organisations, and governments internationally. These guidelines are part of a series of web accessibility standards published by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the main international standards organisation for the Internet.

WCAG is organised into three levels of conformance: Level A (minimum level of compliance), Level AA (addresses the most common barriers for disabled users), and Level AAA (the highest and most stringent level of accessibility). To meet legal requirements in many jurisdictions, including those set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), websites usually aim for WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance.

The ADA is a civil rights law in the United States that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all public life areas. Title III of the ADA has been interpreted by some U.S. courts and the Department of Justice to extend to websites, necessitating that they be accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities.

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Failure to comply with accessibility laws can lead to various consequences, ranging from legal to financial. Legal actions can be brought against organisations with non-compliant websites, leading to costly lawsuits and settlements. These legal ramifications underscore the requirement to treat website accessibility as a cornerstone of inclusive design rather than an afterthought.

More importantly, non-compliance can result in a failure to service a significant portion of the population effectively, as individuals with disabilities may not have full access to a non-compliant website’s functionalities and content. This can damage a company’s reputation and lead to loss of business. Hence, adhering to WCAG and ADA standards is not only a legal necessity but also a moral and business imperative to ensure equal access for all users.

Planning Your Accessibility Audit

Thorough planning is essential when embarking on an accessibility audit to ensure that your website meets accessibility standards. It involves defining what you aim to achieve and selecting appropriate tools to facilitate both automated and manual testing processes.

Defining the Scope and Purpose

Before beginning your audit, it’s crucial to define the scope and purpose. Decide which parts of your website should be evaluated – this could range from a handful of key pages to the entire site. Establish your goal: to improve accessibility for all users, particularly for those with disabilities. Consider the legal compliance aspects and how your changes will enhance user experience. This stage should result in a scaffold for your audit, guiding the subsequent phases of testing.

Selecting the Right Accessibility Audit Tools

Selecting the right tools is a pivotal step in any accessibility audit. Two categories to focus on are automated testing tools and methods for manual testing. Automated tools can quickly identify various accessibility issues, such as colour contrast errors and missing alt text. These tools expedite the process but are not exhaustive. Examples include Axe, WAVE, and Google Lighthouse, each with its own strengths in assessing compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

However, they can’t replicate human interaction fully. This is where manual testing comes in, providing insights into navigational flow and the overall user experience, which tools may not capture. Thus, we advise a blended approach, utilising both automated and manual methodologies for a comprehensive audit.

Evaluating Website Accessibility

Performing an accessibility audit is crucial to ensure that a website is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This audit typically involves a review of your website’s content and the user experience it provides, focusing on how easily users can navigate and interact with the site.

Conducting a Preliminary Review of Content

To begin with, we closely examine all the content on our website, including text, images, videos, and any multimedia elements. We check if the text is clear and readable, using headings and lists to structure the content effectively. Additionally, we verify that images have descriptive alt text, videos are captioned, and sufficient contrast exists between text and background colours.

Checklist for Preliminary Content Review

• Text: Is it concise and legible?
• Headings: Are they hierarchical and descriptive?
• Images: Is alt text provided?
• Videos: Are they captioned?
• Colour Contrast: Does it meet the minimum ratio?

Assessing User Experience and Navigation

Next, we assess the website’s user experience and navigation. This involves ensuring that users can easily move through the site using various assistive technologies. We check the operability of interactive elements like forms and controls, ensure that links are descriptive, and confirm that keyboard navigation is possible throughout the site.

Key Points for User Experience and Navigation

• Keyboard Navigation: Can users navigate without a mouse?
• Descriptive Links: Do links convey their destination or purpose?
• Interactive Elements: Are forms and controls operable for all users?

Using a systematic approach, we not only make our website more accessible but also create a more inclusive digital environment. This is part of our commitment to catering to the needs of every user.

Technical Analysis of Web Elements

In this detailed examination, we will assess the technical structure of your website’s elements to ensure they adhere to web standards and enhance usability.

Examining HTML/CSS Code Standards

When we scrutinise your website’s HTML and CSS code, we look for adherence to best practices that determine how well your site will interact with browsers and assistive technologies. Key elements are:

• Correct use of HTML tags: These tags should be descriptive and utilised to create a semantically meaningful document structure. It is fundamental to ensure that headers, paragraphs and other elements are appropriately classified to promote accessibility and SEO.
• CSS validation: We check the CSS to confirm it is error-free and follows the current standards. This step is crucial because well-structured CSS can improve your website’s loading times and ensure it displays correctly across different devices and browsers.

Testing Interactive Elements and Forms

Interactive elements like buttons and forms must be scrutinised for their functionality and accessibility:

• Button analysis: We test each button to confirm its responsiveness to user actions and ensure it is keyboard-navigable, which is paramount for accessibility.
• Form functionality: Every field on a form is evaluated to make certain that it captures data accurately and securely. Form field labels are checked for clear association with their respective fields, which helps users understand what information is required.

It’s not merely about making sure these elements work flawlessly—it’s also about ensuring they’re accessible to all users, which is a cornerstone of inclusive web design.

Ensuring Accessibility for Various Disabilities

When addressing web accessibility, it’s crucial to consider the full range of disabilities that affect how people use the web. This includes visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments. Creating an inclusive web experience means ensuring all users can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with websites and tools.

Accessibility for Visual Impairments

Individuals with visual impairments, including blindness and low vision, rely on screen readers and other forms of assistive technology to interact with digital content. To support their needs, we must:

• Provide text alternatives for all non-text content, allowing screen readers to convey the meaning through audio.
• Ensure sufficient colour contrast between text and background to aid users with low vision.
• Implement keyboard-navigable content for users who cannot use a mouse, ensuring all functionalities are available via keyboard.

In doing so, we accommodate a spectrum of visual capabilities and preferences, making our websites more accessible.

Facilitating Access for Auditory and Motor Disabilities

The needs of users with auditory and motor disabilities are equally imperative. For deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, we must:

• Offer captions and transcripts for audio and video content, providing essential access to multimedia information.
• Include sign language interpretation where possible, further supporting comprehension and inclusivity.

For users with limited mobility or fine motor skill challenges, it’s important to:

• Design accessible forms and controls that do not require precise movements to operate.
• Implement customisable time frames for timed tasks, allowing users with different motor abilities to interact at their own pace.

By providing these accommodations, we ensure every user has equal access to our website’s information and functions. In delivering this article, we follow the guidance offered by ProfileTree’s Digital Strategist, Stephen McClelland, who emphasises, “A well-executed accessibility audit is more than compliance; it’s about ensuring your digital presence can be navigated and enjoyed by everyone, reflecting the diverse society we live in.”

Incorporating Accessible Media Content

When integrating media into your website, it’s crucial to ensure all users can access and understand your content. This means optimising images with descriptive alt text and providing captions and transcripts for audio and video content.

Optimising Images and Alt Text

Every image on your site should have alt text that accurately describes the image content and its context to users who might not see it. This isn’t just a placeholder; it’s a critical feature for screen-readers used by visually impaired visitors. For instance:

• Example of Poor Alt Text: ‘image1.jpg’
• Example of Effective Alt Text: ‘A barista creating latte art in a cappuccino’

Follow these best practices for alt text:

1. Be descriptive and specific, keeping it succinct.
2. Avoid phrases like “image of…” or “photo of…”; they are redundant.
3. Consider the context within which the image is presented.
4. Use keywords strategically, but don’t stuff alt texts with them.

Providing Captions and Transcripts for Video/Audio

Ensure any audio or video content on your site is accompanied by captions and transcripts. Captions allow people who are deaf or hard of hearing to follow along with dialogue and important sounds.

• Captions should be synchronised with the audio.
• Include descriptions of relevant non-verbal sounds, like [laughs] or [door creaks].
• Captions can be open (always visible) or closed (can be turned on or off).

Transcripts provide a full, textual representation of the audio content, which is beneficial not only for accessibility but also for users who prefer to read content or for those in a sound-sensitive environment.

• Transcripts should be clearly labelled and easy to find next to the corresponding audio or video.
• Structure them with headings and bullet points for easy navigation.

By following these practices, we not only adhere to accessibility standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) but also enhance user experience for all website visitors.

Addressing Accessibility on Different Devices

Ensuring your website is accessible across various devices is crucial, as it guarantees all users, regardless of the device they use, can experience your digital content without barriers. This focus not only aligns with principles of universal design and inclusion but also emphasises the need for meticulous user testing.

Testing on Mobile and Specialised Devices

Mobile Devices: To ensure accessibility on mobile devices, start by checking the responsive design of your site. A responsive website automatically adjusts to fit the screen size of devices, from smartphones to tablets. Use emulators and real devices to test touch inputs, screen reader compatibility, and visible content without the need to zoom.

• Perform tests on different operating systems like iOS and Android
• Check text size and colour contrast for readability in various lighting conditions
• Verify that interactive elements are large enough to be easily tapped
• Ensure that your website does not rely on hover states, which are not accessible on touch screens

Specialised Devices: For users who might be using specialised assistive devices, such as screen magnifiers or alternative input devices like sip-and-puff systems, our website must be navigable. It’s essential to:

• Confirm compatibility with various assistive technologies
• Test voice commands and ensure all functions are operable through voice input
• Use accessibility checker tools to identify and rectify potential issues

Inclusive user testing is key. It involves involving real users with disabilities who navigate your website using their preferred devices. Their feedback provides invaluable insights into the user experience from diverse perspectives.

Remember, while automated tools provide a baseline for identifying issues, they cannot catch all nuances of user interaction. For this reason, we combine automated checks with manual testing and real-world user feedback.

“We harness our expertise to advocate for inclusive design, ensuring that a diversity of users can interact with content comfortably, regardless of the devices they use,” says ProfileTree’s Digital Strategist, Stephen McClelland. “This isn’t just about meeting accessibility standards; it’s about providing a seamless and welcoming experience for everyone.”

Improving Content for Accessibility

Achieving accessibility in website content is not only about compliance but also about providing equal access and an excellent user experience for all users. Our focus here is on enhancing readability and comprehension and implementing SEO best practices to create content that is both accessible and discoverable.

Enhancing Readability and Comprehension

We emphasise the importance of creating content that is easy to read and understand. Text alternatives for non-text content, such as images, videos, and audio files, are essential. Providing captions, transcriptions, and descriptive audio ensures that all content is accessible to content creators, including those with visual or auditory impairments.

• Use clear, simple language suitable for a wide audience
• Structure content with headings and subheadings
• Break up long blocks of text with bullet points or lists
• Include alternative text descriptions for images
• Provide transcripts for videos and podcasts

Implementing SEO Best Practices in Accessible Content

We understand that SEO is vital for content discoverability and should be naturally integrated within accessible content. This includes:

• Utilising keyword-rich phrases that enhance the content’s relevance and searchability
• Crafting SEO-friendly meta descriptions and title tags that are also descriptive and informative
• Implementing structured data to help search engines understand the content context

Our commitment to improvement is reflected in our approach to merging SEO with accessibility, ensuring that content is not only understandable but also reaches the widest possible audience.

Resolving Common Accessibility Barriers

When conducting an accessibility audit for your website, it’s crucial to identify and fix common barriers that can hinder the user experience for individuals with disabilities. Addressing these issues not only improves accessibility but also benefits all users by creating a more inclusive digital environment.

Fixing Issues Related to Colour Contrast and Navigation

For users with visual impairments, sufficient colour contrast between text and background is essential. We recommend using tools to assess the colour contrast on your site, aiming for a ratio that meets or exceeds the WCAG guidelines. If issues are detected, modify your website’s colour palette to amplify contrast and readability.

With navigation, ensure that all interactive elements are keyboard accessible and that the focus order is logical. It’s important to provide clear and descriptive error messages for navigation errors. Remediation may involve restructuring HTML elements and refining the visual cues that guide users through your site’s navigation.

Correcting Errors in Dynamic Content and Updates

Dynamic content, such as live feeds or notifications, should be designed to be fully accessible. Employ ARIA live regions to inform assistive technologies of updates without disturbing the user’s current context. For content that updates dynamically, audit for proper ARIA tagging and ensure that screen readers can detect changes.

Furthermore, examine your site for any error messages that may arise from dynamic content. Ensure these messages are informative about the severity of the error and direct users on how to fix the issue. Remediation steps might involve adding additional instructions or improving the clarity of existing messages.

As Ciaran Connolly, ProfileTree Founder, once said, “The nuances of navigation and error reporting in dynamic content are too often overlooked. Yet, their proper implementation can markedly enhance the efficacy and user-friendliness of a site for individuals with disabilities.”

Finalising the Accessibility Report

Once your website’s accessibility audit has been conducted, finalising the report is a vital step. This involves a detailed analysis of the findings, offering clear recommendations, and preparing a document that communicates these effectively to ensure that all stakeholders understand the actions needed to improve the website’s accessibility.

Documenting Findings and Recommendations

When documenting findings, it’s essential to present the information logically and clearly. Begin by categorising the findings based on the severity of their impact on users with disabilities and arrange them in a prioritised list. Each identified barrier should have a corresponding recommendation for rectification. This could include technical solutions, links to resources for fixing the issues, or timelines for addressing them.

Use tables to present data systematically. For instance:

Issue Identified	Severity	Recommendation	Completion Date
Missing ALT text for images	High	Add descriptive ALT text to all images	30/05/2024

By structuring the audit report in an accessible format with clear headings and subheadings and utilising bullet points for recommendations, we ensure the report itself adheres to accessibility principles. This not only demonstrates a commitment to accessibility but also serves as a practical example of how documentation can be accessible.

Conducting a thorough review of the report before finalising it is critical. This should include checking for completeness, clarity of language, and the practicality of the recommendations. Ensure that the recommendations provide actionable steps that can be quantitatively measured for successful implementation.

For more complex issues, such as those affecting coding or navigational structure, include diagrams or flowcharts to illustrate how users with disabilities are currently impacted versus how the post-recommendation structure will improve their experience.

In conclusion, the final report should emerge as a clear, actionable roadmap that stakeholders can use to enhance the website’s accessibility. This ensures that all website visitors are provided with an equivalent user experience, regardless of their abilities.

Fostering Continued Accessibility Success

Creating an accessible website is not a one-off task; it’s a continuous commitment to inclusivity that requires ongoing effort and vigilance. To ensure long-term accessibility, it’s vital to establish robust internal processes and commit to regular training for your team.

Training Staff and Establishing Ongoing Processes

Training Your Team: The first step in fostering continued success is to empower our staff with the proper training. This includes making sure that our developers and designers are proficient in creating accessible websites by understanding and implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Our training programmes customarily cover a diverse spectrum of disabilities, ensuring best practices are followed, from coding for screen reader compatibility to designing for various visual impairments.

Establishing Processes

• Routine Audits: Regular audits of our websites are essential to maintain accessibility standards. We integrate these into our business processes, undertaking them at scheduled intervals and whenever we implement significant changes to our site content or design.

• Feedback Loops: Incorporating feedback from users, especially those with disabilities, helps us identify areas for improvement. We maintain open communication channels, inviting input and acting on it promptly.

• Updating Content: To guarantee our content remains accessible, it’s crucial to follow best practices when publishing new material. This includes adding alt text to images, providing transcripts for video content, and ensuring that all multimedia is fully accessible.

• Accessibility as Priority: Our project lifecycles embed accessibility considerations from inception to deployment. By engaging accessibility specialists early in the design phase, we prevent the costly process of retroactively addressing accessibility issues.

Ongoing Commitment

Everyone within our organisation, from entry-level employees to senior management, must view accessibility as a continuous journey rather than a distant destination. This ethos is crucial for the sustained success of our accessible business model. Organisational processes and individual responsibilities must all pivot towards this ultimate goal of inclusivity. Only through unwavering dedication to educating our staff, refining our processes, and leveraging the expertise of specialists can we ensure our websites remain approachable for every user.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conducting an accessibility audit for your website involves addressing legal compliance, evaluating user interfaces, and ensuring that all visitors, including those with disabilities, have full and equal access to information and functionalities. We’ll cover the essentials, including the components of an audit checklist, costs, templates, evaluation methods, audit steps, and legal considerations.