Ultimately, accessibility audits accomplish a simple task, and can be broken down into two main types. This article will provide you with the basics on accessibility audits, and provide a comparison between these different options.
The basics: What is an accessibility audit?
An accessibility audit is a systematic test of your website's accessibility. It identifies and measures different features of your site that make it harder for disabled users to interact with and use your services. Normally, an audit will also provide some advice on how you can address these issues and build a more accessible user experience. Once you solve these issues, an external audit can provide your website with an accessibility statement. As the diagram below shows, all accessibility audits follow the same basic process.
Step 1
Define test URLS
The range of URLS to be tested is agreed with AccessPoint.
Step 2
Initial Audit
A manual or automated audit is used to identify inaccessible features.
Step 3
Audit Report
An audit report is prepared outlining the accessibility issues found.
Step 4
Remediation
The interface is made accessible by remediating flagged issues.
Step 5
Verification Audit
A second audit tests the improved accessibility of the site.
Step 6
Certification & Statement
An external audit certifies the audit and provides an accessibility statement.
Manual accessibility audit
A manual accessibility audit is a relatively simple way of identifying and addressing areas of inaccessibility on your website. It consists of a certified accessibility tester making a systematic survey of your website and content, and provides an in-depth and personalised audit report to assist you in making improvements.
The benefits of a manual audit include:
- A contextual and holistic consideration of each feature within your website.
- A nuanced understanding of subjective accessibility requirements.
- Thoughtful and deliberate advice on future design and development work.
- The identification of inaccessible features which might not be flagged by an automated system.
Automated accessibility audit
An alternative to a manual audit is an automated accessibility audit. This consists of using a specialised accessibility tool (here at AccessPoint we use AxeMonitor) to scan a selection of pages on your website. This tool will then provide a standardised audit report and checklist, with issues ordered based on severity and grouped together by type.
The benefits of an automated audit include:
- The ability to quickly scan large amounts of pages very quickly.
- A standardised and repeatable audit report which can quantify changes in accessibility over time.
- The convenient categorisation of issues for designers and developers.
Manual vs automated: Which do I choose?
Manual and automated audits both provide immediate value to your business, but understanding when to use them and why is important. No automated tool can deliver full AA compliance, nor would we ever suggest so. In practice, at least some manual input from a qualified auditor is always required to ensure full compliance. At AccessPoint we understand the relative benefits to both methods (including budget, timelines, and coverage) and seek to combine the best of both methods in providing a complete service and an inclusive end user experience.
No two organisations share the same path towards accessibility compliance. At AccessPoint, our first port of call is always an accessibility consultation, which will help define your specific goals and identify the easiest route towards accomplishing them. This will then inform the choice of tools used during the auditing process.