What is a website accessibility audit?
A website accessibility audit is a structured test of your site against the WCAG 2.1 AA standard — the benchmark behind the ADA in the US and the Equality Act in the UK. It finds the barriers that stop disabled people using your site, grades them, and gives you a fix list. It is how you turn “we think we're fine” into knowing.
UsableNet recorded 4,187 US digital accessibility lawsuits in 2024 — and over 1,000 of those firms had an accessibility widget but were sued anyway. An audit fixes the cause; a widget does not.
What an audit actually checks.
A proper audit goes well past what an automated tool can see.
- Keyboard and focus — can everything be reached and used without a mouse.
- Screen-reader experience — tested with the assistive tech real users have.
- Colour, contrast and text — readable for low vision and colour blindness.
- Forms, labels and errors — the places enquiries are won or lost.
- Structure and media — headings, alt text, captions, logical order.
Why a free checker or overlay won't do.
Automated checkers catch a useful slice of issues — perhaps a third — but miss the ones that need a human and a screen reader to find. Overlay widgets are worse: they don't fix the code, and UsableNet found over 1,000 businesses with one installed were sued anyway. The audit is what finds the real barriers; remediation is what removes them.
From report to protected.
An audit is the start; the value is in acting on it.
- Audit — test against WCAG 2.1 AA and grade every issue by severity.
- Remediate — fix the underlying code, content and structure.
- Statement — publish an accessibility statement that reflects the real state.
- Maintain — re-check as the site changes so it doesn't drift back.
Common questions.
What is a website accessibility audit?
A structured test of your website against the WCAG 2.1 AA standard. It identifies the barriers that prevent disabled people using the site, grades them by severity, and produces a prioritised list of fixes.
What does an accessibility audit cover?
Keyboard operability, screen-reader experience, colour and contrast, text alternatives, forms and error handling, headings and structure, and media captions — tested with assistive technology, not just software.
Isn't a free accessibility checker enough?
No. Automated checkers catch only a portion of issues — often around a third — and miss the ones that need a human tester and a screen reader. They're a useful first pass, not a full audit.
Does an accessibility overlay remove the need for an audit?
No. Overlays don't fix the underlying barriers, and UsableNet found over 1,000 businesses with a widget were still sued in 2024. A real audit and remediation is what actually protects you.
How much does an accessibility audit cost?
It depends on the size and complexity of the site — the number of page templates and the functionality to test. It is priced to scope; the cost of doing nothing is a demand letter and a settlement.
What happens after the audit?
You remediate the issues in priority order, publish an accurate accessibility statement, and re-check as the site changes so it doesn't slip back out of compliance.
Keep reading
Related questions
Know where your site stands — before the demand letter.
The free Diagnostic gives you a first read on your site's accessibility and where the gaps are. No email gate, no nurture sequence.