Perceivable 20
Information can be seen, heard, or otherwise perceived.
- 1.1.1Non-text Content
- 1.4.3Contrast (Minimum)
- 1.4.10Reflow
+ 17 more
Manual ADA Compliance Audit (WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA)
A human-tested accessibility audit of your website against all 55 WCAG 2.2 AA criteria — ranked by legal risk, with a clear remediation plan. Automated tools catch only 30% of issues; we find the rest.
What you get
- Every WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA issue on your key templates
- Each issue ranked by legal risk, with screenshots
- The success criterion it fails and how to fix it
- A fixed scope and timeline for remediation
Audit vs. scan
Why an accessibility audit has to be manual
Every automated accessibility audit misses most of what gets you sued. Keyboard traps, focus order, meaningful alt text, and form semantics only surface when a human tests your site the way a person with a disability does.
It's the same standard a plaintiff's expert applies. A scanner reports that an image has an alt attribute; a person notices the alt text says “IMG_4471.” A scanner sees a form field; a person with a screen reader finds they can't tell which field an error belongs to.
| Aspect | Automated scan | Our manual audit |
|---|---|---|
| WCAG issues found | About 30–50% | All 55 criteria reviewed |
| Alt text quality | Present or missing | Meaningful or not |
| Keyboard and focus | Barely | Full keyboard walkthrough |
| Screen readers | No | VoiceOver and NVDA |
| Ranked by legal risk | No | Yes |
Scope
What the audit covers: all 55 WCAG 2.2 AA criteria
We test the templates and flows that matter — home, navigation, product or service pages, forms, cart, and checkout — against every Level A and AA success criterion.
Operable 20
Everything works with a keyboard, with time, without traps.
- 2.1.1Keyboard
- 2.4.7Focus Visible
- 2.5.8Target Size (Minimum)
+ 17 more
Understandable 13
Content and forms behave predictably and explain errors.
- 3.1.1Language of Page
- 3.3.1Error Identification
- 3.3.2Labels or Instructions
+ 10 more
Robust 2
Assistive technology can read and operate it.
- 4.1.2Name, Role, Value
- 4.1.3Status Messages
Methodology
Real testing — tools plus humans, never tools alone
No automated tool catches more than 30–50% of WCAG issues, so we combine automated engines with human testing.
axe-core + automated engines
The open-source engine built by Deque, relied on by auditors — cross-checked with pa11y, Lighthouse, and WAVE.
Manual code inspection
Markup, ARIA landmarks, heading hierarchy, and keyboard focus order on every template.
Screen-reader testing
VoiceOver (macOS) and NVDA (Windows) — the same tools your users with disabilities rely on every day.
The report
A report you can act on — and hand to your attorney
Every finding shows where it is, which WCAG criterion it fails, why it matters, and how to fix it. After remediation, we re-run the same checks so you can see each one resolved.
- 1.1.1Missing alt textIssue
- 1.4.3Low color contrastIssue
- 3.3.2Unlabeled form fieldsIssue
- 2.4.7Keyboard focus not visibleIssue
- 1.3.1Skipped heading levelsIssue
- 1.1.1Missing alt textFixed
- 1.4.3Low color contrastFixed
- 3.3.2Unlabeled form fieldsFixed
- 2.4.7Keyboard focus not visibleFixed
- 1.3.1Skipped heading levelsFixed
Sample report shown for illustration — not a client result.
- Before: every WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA issue, ranked by legal risk, with axe-core results and screenshots.
- After: the same checks re-run, showing issues resolved.
- Evidence: PDF with screenshots; screen-reader and keyboard video on request.
/* 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) — tertiary text */- --text-muted: #b1bbcd; /* 1.93:1 — fails AA */+ --text-muted: #5f6b7d; /* 5.10:1 — passes AA */ /* 1.4.3 — white text on a gradient button */- background: linear-gradient(#127ee3, #0e5aad); /* 4.10:1 at the light end */+ background: #0e5aad; /* 6.81:1, solid and verifiable */ <!-- 1.1.1 Non-text Content -->- <img src="boot-tan.jpg">+ <img src="boot-tan.jpg" alt="Tan leather Chelsea boot, side view"> <!-- 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions -->- <input placeholder="Email address">+ <label for="email">Email address</label>+ <input id="email" type="email" autocomplete="email">FAQ
ADA compliance audit: common questions
What is an ADA compliance audit for a website?
An ADA compliance audit tests your website against WCAG 2.1/2.2 Level AA — the benchmark U.S. courts use — and documents every barrier a person with a disability would hit. A real audit combines automated scans with manual code inspection, keyboard testing, and screen-reader testing.
How much does an accessibility audit cost?
It depends on how many unique templates your site has, the platform, and the flows that matter — a five-page brochure site and a store with a custom checkout are different jobs. We scope it first and give you a fixed price and timeline before any work starts.
What qualifies as an ADA violation on a website?
In website cases, complaints usually cite barriers that fail WCAG success criteria: images without alt text, low color contrast, unlabeled form fields, and content that can't be used with a keyboard. Whether something is a legal violation is a question for your attorney.
Is an automated scan the same as an audit?
No. Automated tools catch only 30–50% of WCAG issues. They can flag a missing alt attribute, but not whether the alt text is meaningful, whether focus order makes sense, or whether a screen reader can finish your checkout. An audit needs a person.
What tools do you use?
axe-core (the open-source engine built by Deque and relied on by professional auditors), cross-checked with pa11y, Lighthouse, and WAVE, plus manual code inspection and screen-reader testing with VoiceOver and NVDA. You receive a before-and-after report with screenshots and optional video.
Do I have to hire you to fix what the audit finds?
No. The report stands on its own and your developers can work from it. Most clients have us do the remediation too, because we already know every issue — and we re-test afterward to prove each one is fixed.
Start here
Request your manual ADA compliance audit
Real issues, ranked by risk, with a clear remediation plan.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 (786) 793-6135 or message us on WhatsApp (opens in a new tab).