Introduction to Accessibility Audits
With a Billion+ people with disabilities globally, inclusive technology is the need and conducting an accessibility audit is one step towards ensuring that! It is the comprehensive evaluation of a website or application's conformance with accessibility standards to meet the needs of people with disabilities.
An accessibility audit process usually involves:
- Performing manual and automated testing by Accessibility experts
- Conducting testing with people with disabilities
- Assessing the overall design and user experience of the site or the app
- Reviewing the code for potential accessibility issues
Importance of Accessibility Audits
An accessibility audit helps identify potential accessibility barriers and provide recommendations for how to make your site or app more accessible.
It ensures global accessibility standards and guildelines are adhered to while enhancing user experience. Whether you are developing websites, mobile apps, software, or SaaS platforms, conducting an accessibility audit is essential to meet these global standards and user expectations.
Accessibility Standards and Guildelines
When conducting an accessibility audit, there are a variety of standards & guidelines that can be used to measure conformance. The most common globally accepted accessibility guidelines and standards are:
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set forth by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). WCAG 2.2, 2.1 and 2.0 are the versions.
- EN 301 549 - This is the European standard that covers Accessibility for all ICT.
- Section 508 – Section 508 requires access to ICT developed, procured, maintained, or used by federal agencies.
- European Accessibility Act (EAA) – The EAA establishes accessibility requirements for products and services across the European Union to improve access for people with disabilities.
- Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPwD) – The RPwD Act emphasizes the right to accessibility in physical and digital environments, promoting inclusion for people with disabilities in India.
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - The ADA is a landmark U.S. civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life, including employment, education, transportation, and public and private spaces open to the general public.
Which technologies should you conduct an accessibility audit for?
The myth for a long time has been that an accessibility audit is required only for websites! But accessibility is needed for all web and non-web Information & Communication Technology (ICT). So time to think:
- Websites
- Web Applications
- Mobile Apps
- Software
- Gaming
- SAAS Platforms
- Documents
This list will keep evolving as we see digital technology evolving!
Talk to our Accessibility Expert
When should you conduct an Accessibility Audit?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of when to do an accessibility audit.
The best time to initiate an accessibility audit is early in the development cycle. Integrating accessibility right from the start reduces retrofitting efforts and ensures accessibility is part of the design process. Regular accessibility audits—before launch, after major updates, or at set intervals—help maintain adherence with accessibility standards, making accessibility a continuous commitment rather than an afterthought.
At BarrierBreak, we provide tailored digital accessibility auditing services to help organizations strategize and maintain accessibility efforts. Whether you’re auditing a website, mobile app, or digital document, our team of accessibility experts ensure your solutions meet the mark.
Get Started with Accessibility Audits
Our accessibility consulting and digital accessibility services assist organizations to audit, manage and control to ensure that accessibility is an on-going effort and not an afterthought.
Our approach combines expert testing with real-world insights from users with disabilities, ensuring your digital products and services are both compliant and user-friendly.
Write to us at sales@barrierbreak.com to talk to an accessibility consultant and get started on your accessibility journey right away. Remember, an accessibility audit isn’t just a compliance measure—it’s a commitment to inclusion.