As an accessibility consultant, I often meet teams who want to create more inclusive digital experiences but are unsure where to begin. An accessibility audit is the most effective starting point because it provides a structured understanding of barriers that may prevent users with different abilities from fully engaging with your content. If you follow a clear process, the audit becomes manageable, predictable, and highly valuable. The following guide outlines a practical approach to help you begin your accessibility audit with confidence and accuracy.
Define Your Scope
Identify What You Will Audit
Start by clarifying the digital assets you plan to evaluate. This may involve a full website, a section of your platform, a mobile application, or a collection of documents. Defining scope prevents unnecessary work and ensures that the audit is targeted and effective.
Set Measurable Objectives
Determine what success looks like. You may be aiming for compliance with WCAG, improving overall usability, reducing accessibility related support requests, or preparing for a redesign. Clear objectives shape your priorities and help you evaluate outcomes later.
Assemble Your Team
Gather the Right People: Bring together a diverse team with expertise in development, design, content creation, and accessibility. If your team lacks specific knowledge, consider involving accessibility consultants who can provide valuable insights.
Assign Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly define who will be responsible for each aspect of the audit. Assign tasks such as running automated tests, conducting manual reviews, and handling user feedback to ensure a thorough and organized process.
Choose Tools and Methods
Automated accessibility tools provide quick insights into common issues such as missing text alternatives, insufficient color contrast, and ARIA errors. They are useful for spotting patterns but should never be the only method used. Treat them as a first layer of evaluation.
Manual testing is where you uncover issues that automation cannot detect. Recommended methods include:
- Keyboard only navigation to verify that all interactive elements are reachable and usable without a mouse.
- Screen reader testing to understand how information is announced and whether the experience is logical.
- Scenario based testing to evaluate how easily users can complete tasks, such as submitting a form or locating specific information.
User Testing: Engage real users with disabilities to test your digital content. Their feedback provides crucial insights into real-world usability and accessibility challenges.
Conduct the Audit
Run Automated Assessments: Start with automated tools to identify obvious issues. Document findings, noting the location and severity of each problem.
Perform Manual Reviews: Manually review your content to assess things like heading structures, form labels, and overall content clarity. Look for issues that automated tools might miss, such as usability challenges or complex navigation.
Gather User Feedback: Conduct usability testing sessions with individuals who use assistive technologies. Their experiences will help you understand how well your content meets their needs and where improvements are necessary.
Analyze and Document Findings
Compile Your Results: Create a comprehensive list of accessibility issues, categorized by type and severity. Include detailed descriptions of each issue and how it affects the user experience.
Provide Recommendations: Offer actionable recommendations for fixing the identified issues. Prioritize these based on their impact and the ease of implementation. Develop a roadmap for addressing the most critical problems first.
Implement and Test Fixes
Address Issues: Make the necessary changes based on your findings and recommendations. This might involve updating content, modifying code, or redesigning elements.
Re-Test: After implementing fixes, re-test your digital assets to ensure that issues have been resolved and to check for any new problems. This iterative process helps ensure that your updates are effective.
Review and Re-Evaluate
Ongoing Monitoring: Accessibility is an ongoing effort. Schedule regular audits to keep up with evolving standards and to address any new issues that may arise.
Educate Your Team: Provide training on accessibility best practices and ensure that your team understands the importance of maintaining accessibility. Knowledge and awareness are key to preventing future issues.
Communicate and Report
Prepare a Report: Create a detailed report summarizing the audit process, findings, and the steps taken to address issues. Share this report with stakeholders to demonstrate your commitment to accessibility and to highlight improvements.
Celebrate Successes: Don’t forget to acknowledge and celebrate the positive changes made. Showcasing your progress can boost morale and reinforce the value of accessibility within your organization.
Conclusion
Starting an accessibility audit might seem challenging, but with a clear plan and the right resources, you can make significant strides towards creating an inclusive digital experience. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to identifying and addressing accessibility issues, ultimately benefiting all users and enhancing the overall quality of your digital presence.