Making sure your website is accessible to everyone isn’t just a matter of inclusivity—it’s often a legal requirement. With accessibility lawsuits on the rise, the importance of a fully accessible website cannot be overstated. That’s where a website accessibility audit comes in. This audit helps you identify barriers that may prevent users with disabilities from accessing your site and provides actionable insights to improve the user experience for everyone.
If you’re ready to make your website ADA-compliant and more user-friendly, this step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of conducting a website accessibility audit, using the right tools and techniques to ensure compliance.
Why a Website Accessibility Audit Matters
Before diving into the process, let’s talk about why this audit is so important. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), websites must be accessible to people with disabilities, ensuring that everyone can interact with your site, regardless of their abilities.
Beyond the legal reasons, conducting an accessibility audit is about creating a better experience for all your users. Websites that are easy to navigate and readable are naturally more engaging, leading to longer visits, more conversions, and even SEO benefits. When you optimize for accessibility, you’re also optimizing for usability, making your site better for everyone.
Start with an Accessibility Checker
The first step in conducting an accessibility audit is using an ADA compliance checker or a free accessibility checker for websites. These tools scan your website and identify potential issues that make it difficult for users with disabilities to interact with your content. Here are some top tools you can use:
- WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool): WAVE is a free tool that highlights accessibility issues like missing alt text, low contrast, and broken links. It provides visual feedback directly on your site, showing you exactly what needs fixing.
- Google Lighthouse: Built into Chrome, Lighthouse offers a quick accessibility audit, providing an overall score and actionable suggestions to improve compliance with WCAG guidelines.
- axe by Deque Systems: This tool is popular among developers and integrates easily into workflows. Axe provides a detailed report on ADA compliance issues and gives specific recommendations on how to fix them.
Each of these tools is designed to give you a comprehensive look at the current state of your website’s accessibility, pointing out areas that need attention.
Check for Keyboard Navigation
For users with motor disabilities, being able to navigate a website using only a keyboard is critical. A fully accessible website allows users to move through content and interact with buttons, forms, and links using only the Tab key and other keyboard commands.
When auditing your website, try navigating using just the keyboard. You should be able to access every interactive element on the page, and it should be clear which element is currently selected. If you get stuck or can’t reach certain parts of the site, this is a red flag that needs addressing.
Test Color Contrast
Color contrast is essential for users with visual impairments, including those with low vision or color blindness. Your website’s text needs to be easily distinguishable from its background. A poor color contrast can make reading content extremely difficult, frustrating users and driving them away.
Accessibility checkers like WAVE and Google Lighthouse can help you test your site’s color contrast and see whether it meets the WCAG 2.1 standards, which recommend a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text.
If your contrast is too low, consider adjusting your colors or using a color contrast adjuster widget. These widgets allow users to customize the contrast on your site to suit their individual needs, making it more accessible.
Add Descriptive Alt Text
Alt text plays a critical role in making images accessible to people who rely on screen readers. If your images don’t have descriptive alt text, users with visual impairments will miss out on important context. During your audit, check that all images—especially those that convey information—include relevant and clear alt text.
Tools like WAVE or axe can identify images without alt text and help you quickly address these gaps. Not only does adding alt text improve accessibility, but it also enhances your website’s SEO by providing more context for search engines to crawl.
Ensure Your Forms Are Accessible
Forms are an integral part of many websites, from contact pages to online purchases. However, if not designed with accessibility in mind, they can be difficult or even impossible for users with disabilities to complete.
Check that each form field is clearly labeled so that users who rely on screen readers can understand what information is being requested. Additionally, ensure that the form is fully operable using only the keyboard. If any part of the form isn’t accessible, this could result in lost conversions and legal risks.
Include Video Captions and Transcripts
If your website includes video content, it’s essential to provide captions for users with hearing impairments. Captions make the video accessible to those who can’t hear the audio, while transcripts offer another way to deliver the same information for those who prefer reading.
Many accessibility plugins, like UserWay and AccessiBe, offer built-in features to add captions or integrate with captioning services. Be sure to check that all video content has accurate and synchronized captions during your audit.
Review Content Structure and Headings
Proper content structure is vital for making your website accessible to screen readers. Screen readers rely on a logical hierarchy of headings to navigate through your content. Ensure that your headings (H1, H2, etc.) follow a logical order and that you’re not using heading tags purely for styling purposes.
Tools like axe can help you identify any improper heading structures and suggest ways to fix them, making your content easier to navigate for users relying on assistive technology.
Leverage Accessibility Plugins
One of the quickest ways to improve your website’s accessibility is by using accessibility plugins. These plugins offer a wide range of features, such as text resizing, keyboard navigation, and color contrast adjustments, allowing users to customize their browsing experience based on their individual needs.
Popular plugins include:
- UserWay: Provides tools like text resizing, screen readers, and color contrast adjustments.
- AccessiBe: Uses AI to automatically adjust your website for ADA and WCAG compliance, offering features like keyboard navigation, screen readers, and font scaling.
These plugins make it easier to quickly address common accessibility issues without having to redesign your website from scratch.
Test with Real Users
Finally, the best way to ensure your website is truly accessible is to test it with real users who have disabilities. No automated tool can replicate the experience of someone who relies on assistive technology, so getting direct feedback from users with disabilities can be invaluable.
Invite testers to navigate your site and provide feedback on any accessibility challenges they encounter. This real-world testing will give you a clearer picture of how accessible your site truly is and where improvements are needed.
